Russia Opposes UN Draft Resolution To Ban Barrel Bombs In Syria

Russia is against banning barrel bombs in Syria, as promoted by Spain, France and Britain. The Kremlin said it opposes the United Nations draft resolution regarding the same.

The draft resolution, in addition to the ban of barrel bombs, also proposes sanctions against the Syrian government. Syrian President Bashar Assad is accused of dropping crude explosives on civilians in the country, AFP reported.

According to Russia, the resolution has the potential to threaten peace efforts in the war-torn Middle Eastern country. Petr Iliichev, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N., said it was not the ideal time to circulate the draft to the U.N. Security Council. “Especially at this very delicate moment we should not jeopardize the efforts that are being undertaken in Vienna," AP quoted Iliichev as telling reporters.

International leaders are scheduled to come together in Vienna. The leaders, scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday, will try to make an effort to end the Syria war which displaced more than 10 million and killed 250,000.

Matthew Rycroft, Britain’s ambassador to the U.N., said the draft would be circulated to all members of the UNSC in the coming days. "I think it's important to ensure that indiscriminate bombing is stopped because it kills so many people, it terrorizes so many people and it's one of the causes of the flood of refugees and migrants out of Syria," he said.

According to a resolution adopted by the UNSC in February 2014, no party is allowed to use barrel bombs in Syria. Francois Delattre, France’s ambassador to the U.N., earlier called barrel bombs as “weapons of terror.” The proposed draft, unlike the February resolution, is militarily enforceable.