United Nations: Russia on Friday threatened to use its veto to block a French-drafted UN resolution calling for an end to the bombing of Aleppo and the grounding of all warplanes over the Syrian city.
"I cannot possibly see how we can let this resolution pass," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters when asked whether he would resort to the veto.
Following a closed-door Security Council meeting on Syria, Churkin said the French measure was "hastily put together," adding, "I believe this is not designed to make progress, but to cause a Russian veto."
Council members have been holding negotiations for the past week over the draft resolution, which calls for an end to the bombing of Aleppo, access for aid deliveries and a halt to all military flights over the city.
French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the resolution has "very strong support" within the 15-member council and that "there was no time to waste" for addressing the unfolding disaster in Aleppo.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the vote on Saturday would be a "moment of truth for all the Security Council members," following talks in Washington with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The Russian and Syrian bombing campaigns in Aleppo have triggered global outrage, with the United States demanding a war crimes investigation.
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