Russia slams US at UNSC for being 'sole country to oppose ceasefire'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Dec 2023 20:27
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Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun urged the organization to organize a comprehensive international peace conference addressing the war in Gaza.

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

At a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia declared that the US stands as the sole state opposing a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Nebenzia highlighted the global consensus on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and criticized the US for aligning itself against the unanimous stance of the international community.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that there's a consensus in the world about the need to have an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the only state which stands against, pitting themselves against the entire international community, is the United States," Nebenzia emphasized.

China advocates int'l peace conference

In a separate statement during the UN Security Council session, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun called for the convening of a comprehensive international peace conference to address the war on Gaza.

Ambassador Zhang proposed a conference that is larger in scale, scope, and impact, with a focus on achieving a two-state solution.

"China calls for the convening of an international peace conference that is larger in scale, scope, and effects, and for the formulation of a timetable and a roadmap so that the two-state solution can truly be realized," Zhang asserted.

He further emphasized the importance of any discussion on the Palestinian struggle for existence must take into consideration the will of the Palestinian people as well as the concerns of regional countries and adhering to the two-state solution without deviation.

US vetoes in favor of 'Israel'

On December 9, the US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, "diplomatically" shielding its client.

US deputy representative at the UN, Robert Wood, said the resolution was "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground."

Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, presented through the UAE, while Britain abstained. The vote came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked the UN charter’s Article 99 for it on Wednesday.

"The United Arab Emirates is deeply disappointed," said the representative of the UAE who had sponsored the resolution calling for a ceasefire.

"Regrettably... this council is unable to demand a humanitarian ceasefire."