Maravi

(CNN) Russia blasts U.S., UK over Zimbabwe vote

(CNN) -- Russia has reacted angrily to comments made by U.S. and British officials who criticized Moscow's veto of U.N. sanctions against Zimbabwe.

(Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe meets with Arthur Mutambara, an opposition leader.)

Officials in the United States and Britain were quick to exclaim their surprise over Friday's veto by Russia and China on sanctions. The U.S.-led sanctions were aimed at punishing Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe's deadly crackdown on the opposition Move for Democratic Change during and after the presidential election. The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement Saturday said the criticism "places a question mark over the worthiness of Russia as a G-8 partner," The Associated Press reported.

It added that the possibility of U.N. sanctions on Zimbabwe was excluded at a recent G-8 summit in Japan.

Russia said it believed the sanctions would set a precedent for U.N. meddling, AP reported. The sanctions would have been imposed on Mugabe and 11 senior members of his government. According to a draft of the resolution, the measure would have instituted a travel ban, frozen many of their assets and imposed an international arms embargo on the regime.

The measure received nine votes -- the minimum for it to pass. However, two of the five negative votes were from Russia and China, who as permanent members of the Security Council have veto power.

Meanwhile, Britain said Saturday that it had not ruled out a renewed attempt to get a Security Council resolution if efforts to deliver a mediated settlement failed to make progress.

"It is disappointing that the Security Council failed to stand up for the democratic rights of Zimbabweans. But it was right to push for a tough Security Council resolution, and those who stood in its way must now take responsibility for the failure of the Security Council to act," a Downing St spokesman told the British Press Association.

"We will continue to stand firmly for human rights and democracy, and will return to the Security Council in the absence of early progress on mediation, humanitarian access and an end to violence. This is not the outcome we sought, but we have other options."

Labels: SANCTIONS, UN, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 7:11 PM