U.S. irked as Russia, China veto new U.N. sanctions on Syria

poisonous gas.”

The Trump administration recently joined France and Britain in sponsoring the resolution, and Haley minced no words in denouncing the “outrageous and indefensible choice” that Russia and China made on Tuesday. President Donald Trump had warm words for Russian President Vladimir Putin while campaigning but Haley has now criticized Russia over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula as well as Syria.

The defeated resolution was drafted following a joint investigation by the United Nations and the international chemical weapons watchdog that determined the Syrian government was behind at least three attacks involving chlorine gas and the Islamic State extremist group was responsible for at least one involving mustard gas.

Russia, Syria’s closest ally, joined Western nations in establishing the joint investigation, known as the JIM, to determine responsibility for chemical attacks.

But Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said after the vote that Moscow let it be known early on that it was “skeptical” of the JIM’s reports and the “uncorroborated nature of the conclusions.” He stressed that there was “no convincing evidence” to determine who was responsible for using chemical weapons.

Safronkov also pointed to the divided Security Council vote saying many council members have questions about the JIM’s conclusions and the resolution. It got the minimum nine “yes” votes on Tuesday but in addition to China and Russia, Bolivia voted “no” and three countries abstained — Egypt, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

Addressing the three Western sponsors, Safronkov said: “You decided on provocation when you knew well in advance our position.” He stressed that the only way to resolve the Syrian conflict, now in its sixth year, is through cooperation — “and it’s high time we do so.”