The deadlock over extending the one-year U.N. mandate for cross-border assistance reflected the shredded relationship between Russia and the United States.
. A nearly identical debate on the same issue last year was resolved with diplomacy among the parties, including a June 2021 summit between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“In today’s vote we saw politics trump critical aid for vulnerable Syrians,” Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the head of Mercy Corps, said in a statement. “As a result, we are sure to see a worsening humanitarian situation and deteriorating food insecurity for millions.”Russia vetoed a resolution, sponsored by Norway and Ireland, that would have extended the program for another year. China abstained, while the remaining 13 members of the Council voted in favor.
After the initial vote, Russia tabled its own resolution to renew the program for six months. Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador, described it as “the only alternative” to complete closure of the supply line. Only Russia and China voted in favor. The United States, Britain and France vetoed the measure, and 10 countries abstained.
Polyanskiy, who accused Thomas-Greenfield of being “sly and hypocritical,” said the West had not complied with the pledge and continues to ignore “the interests of Damascus.” If it did better during the next six months, he said, Russia would be ready to negotiate and vote on a new six-month mandate.The northwestern Syrian pocket, consisting of Idlib province and surrounding areas, is one of the last redoubts of opposition controlled by militant groups.