Russia vows veto on UN Syria sanctions vote

NEW YORK — Nations urging the UN to ban helicopter sales to Syria and impose other sanctions over chemical weapons attacks are pressing toward a vote shortly. But Russia is vowing a veto. Britain’s deputy UN ambassador, Peter Wilson, said after a closeddoor Security Council meeting Friday that a vote will come “as soon as possible.” He’d said earlier Friday that diplomats aimed to advance the measure “in the coming days.” Britain, France and the United States have been seeking sanctions after an investigation by the United Nations and an international chemical weapons watchdog organization determined last year that the Syrian government was behind at least three attacks involving chlorine gas in the civil-war-ravaged country. Russia, Syria’s closest ally, has questioned the investigation’s conclusions linking chemical weapons use to Syrian government, and Russian deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Friday that his nation would veto the sanctions measure if it came up for a vote.