The Latest: Russia says it will veto UN Aleppo resolution
BEIRUT — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
6:40 p.m.
Russia says it will veto a French-drafted U.N. resolution demanding immediate access to besieged areas of Aleppo and “neutral monitoring” of the evacuation of civilians.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters before Security Council consultations on the draft resolution Sunday that Moscow has no problem with any kind of monitoring.
But he said the idea that monitors “should be told to go to wander around the ruins of eastern Aleppo without proper preparation and without informing everybody about what is going to happen — it has disaster written all over it.”
He says Russia has “some very simple ideas” — which he refused to disclose — to put to council members, and that if they agree a resolution could be adopted Sunday.