US slams Russia for vetoing UN resolution on chemical weapons

Washington: The US has slammed Russia for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution extending the mandate of the only official mission probing the use of chemical weapons in Syria, saying Moscow has "once again" demonstrated it would do anything to protect its ally. Russia on Tuesday vetoed the US-sponsored UN resolution that would extend the work of inspectors seeking to determine who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia has blocked such a move by the UN Security Council a number of times, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in her daily news conference.

Russia has blocked the UN Security Council action to hold accountable those who use chemical weapons, including terrorists and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, she said. "By blocking the extension of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, Russia has once again demonstrated it does not care about stopping the barbaric use of chemical weapons in the world and will do whatever it takes to protect its ally, the Assad regime," Sanders alleged. Blocking the extension of the investigating authority means nothing less than Russia's endorsement of the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons.