Russian diplomat accuses U.S. of promoting "illogical" UNSC resolution

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The United States, supported by Britain and France, was pushing for an "illogical" UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Syria, a high-ranking Russian diplomat said Tuesday.

The UNSC resolution must conform to the decisions of the executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) "without adopting Chapter VII of the UN Charter," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the State Duma.

Chapter VII says the Security Council may authorize that military force could be used if other sanctions prove ineffective "to maintain or restore international peace and security."

"Chapter VII could be mentioned only in connection with a set of measures against violators in case a refusal of cooperation with the OPCW ... or use of chemical weapons," the Interfax news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying. He believes Chapter VII paves the way to military action in some cases.

Moscow insisted there should be no mention of use of force against Damascus, nor automatic sanctions in the proposed UNSC resolution.

The diplomat warned that aggression against Syria had been postponed so far but not completely eliminated.

He admitted contacts between Moscow and Washington were not proceeding smoothly and the situation during these contacts had not developed in the proper direction.

"The U.S. agreed on compromise over chemical weapons but they keep insisting the Syrian regime is guilty," he said, adding Washington did not present comprehensive proof but "constantly make reservations that the plans to punish Damascus remain in force."

Ryabkov will attend a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) next week in France's Strasbourg, where the Syrian crisis is on the agenda.

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