Russia, China block anti-Syria United Nations Security Council resolution

Russia and China have vetoed a Western-proposed draft United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution against the Syrian government over its alleged use of chemical weapons.

On Tuesday, the measure, drafted by Britain, France and the US, got the minimum nine "yes" votes.

However, Russia, China and Bolivia opposed the resolution while Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Egypt abstained.

UN resolutions need nine positive votes and no vetoes to pass.

This is the seventh time that Russia blocks an anti-Syria resolution and the sixth time that China does so.

The defeated resolution would have blacklisted 11 Syrians, mainly military commanders, and 10 entities allegedly linked to chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015. It would also have banned the supply of helicopters to Damascus.

The vetoed resolution followed a UN-led probe that claimed the Syrian government was behind at least three attacks involving chlorine gas.

The United Nations Security Council votes on a resolution to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders over alleged chemical attacks at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., February 28, 2017. (Photo by Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier denounced the resolution as “inappropriate” and warned that Moscow would not support fresh restrictive measures against Damascus.

After the measure was defeated, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, "This resolution is very appropriate.”

US Ambassador Nikki Haley (C) and British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft (top) vote in favor of a United Nations Security Council resolution to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders over alleged chemical attacks at UN headquarters in New York City, U.S., February 28, 2017. (Photo by Reuters)

The development comes as the Syrian government has repeatedly denied using banned weapons and accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey of providing militants with toxic materials.

Terror outfits such as Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, have on several occasions used toxic materials to target civilians in the Aleppo areas, reports say.

Over the past six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. The US and its western and regional allies have been supporting militants seeking to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.