UN veto sinks the sanctions

Russia and China torpedo the G8 plan to target Mugabe's men

Britain and the United States suffered a staggering diplomatic blow at the United Nations last night, when both Russia and China vetoed a Security Council resolution designed to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders.

The plan, hatched at the recent G8 meeting in Japan, involved an arms embargo, and a travel ban and freezing of personal assets, designed to directly penalise President Mugabe and 13 of his closest ministers and officials.

Russia was understood to have endorsed the plan. But when the resolution was debated at the UN, it agreed with China that the situation in Zimbabwe did not threaten international stability. Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said that sanctions would have taken the UN beyond its mandate.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the veto was "incomprehensible", and the US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Russia's veto raised "questions about its reliability as a G8 partner."

Zimbabwe's UN ambassador, Boniface Chidyausiku, welcomed the result, saying he was happy to see what he described as the US and UK's "machinations" failing. South Africa, which doesn't have a Security Council veto, also voted against the resolution.

Britain and America are now believed to be conferring on what steps, if any, they can now take in their attempts to bring justice to Zimbabwe.

Comments

[Michael]

Both China and Russia agree that the situation in Zimbabwe does not 'threaten international stability' ..... but it does threaten the lives of tens or hundreds of thousands, either directly or indirectly, on a daily basis.

Maybe the current Russian and Chinese leaderships should be made part responsible for their complicity in allowing Mugabe to ride roughshod over the population, maybe they should be listed as his accomplices in the murders and human rights atrocities that occur from here on in. Because that is what they have declared themselves in this veto, accomplices to human rights abuses of the highest order.

[RMacleod]

Brown must be extremely naive to think Russia and in particular China, would refrain from vetoing sanctions against Mugabe and co. China’s continuing show of anti west sentiment and therefore support of the AU mafia is crucial to its long term plans to eventually colonize the African continent.

[Alltribes zimbos]

We not surprised by the decisions taken by russia and china since they dnt have or expect zimbabwean refugees at all,so we urge our African neighbours, the US ,UK and other Europen nations to go it alone since they're the most affected.As for our MDC if get swallowed people will never forgive you ,so play your cards right this time around.

[Hope O Brien]

Has anyone considered the possiblity that Russia and China might have gotten mining rights and government contracts for their votes? What is their interest in Zimbabwe?