UN likely to vote next week on Syria sanctions

Washington : The UN Security Council is likely to vote next week on a draft resolution that would slap sanctionson Syria over the use of chemical weapons, but Russia is almost certain to veto the measure, diplomats said Thursday.

Britain, France and the United States are pushing for a ban on the sale of helicopters to Syria and sanctions on 11 Syrians and 10 entities linked to chemical attacks in the nearly six-year war.

The measure follows a joint investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which concluded in October that the Syrian military had carried out at least three chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015.

"This is the significant response that the Security Council committed to do in the event of proven use of CW in Syria," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The US, UK and France are very clear that this is an issue of principle," he said. Russia's ambassador said at a meeting last week that Moscow would block the measure, said the diplomat.

Russia has used its veto six times to shield its Damascus ally from any punitive action.

China, another veto-wielding Security Council member, is expected to abstain in the vote.

France and Britain presented a first draft on imposing sanctions on Syria in December, but held off on action to give the new US administration time to study it.  

Another Security Council diplomat said the trio was moving ahead now that US President Donald Trump's administration was fully onboard with the push for sanctions against Syria.

The vote could take place as early as Monday or Tuesday.

"We hope it will come to a vote as quickly as possible," a US official told AFP.