Russia on Friday cast a second veto in as many days at the UN Security Council to block the renewal of a probe to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
A draft resolution put forward by Japan would have extended the UN-led Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days to allow time for negotiations on a wider compromise.
However, Russia used its veto power to prevent adoption after 12 council members voted in favor of the measure, effectively ending the mission.
China abstained, while Bolivia voted no.
It was the 11th time that Russia has used its veto power to stop council action targeting its ally Syria.
“Russia is wasting our time,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told the council after the vote. “Russia has no interest in finding ground with the rest of this council to save the JIM.”
“Russia will not agree to any mechanism that might shine a spotlight on the use of chemical weapons by its ally, the Syrian regime,” she said. “It’s as simple and shameful as that.”
A resolution requires nine votes to be adopted at the council, but five nations — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — can block adoption with their veto power.
After the veto, the council met behind closed doors at Sweden’s request to hear another appeal for a temporary extension, but Russia again refused, diplomats said.
Italian Ambassador to the UN Sebastiano Cardi, who holds the presidency, told reporters after the meeting that the council “will continue to work in the coming hours and days constructively to find a common position.”
The final efforts turned to finding some technical ruse that would have allowed the JIM to avoid shutting down and would not require a resolution, diplomats said.
UN officials said that the panel would end its work at midnight, as there was no decision from the council to keep it in place.
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