Russia,China clash with the West over Syria

Russia and China have resorted to their right of veto for the third time over the past nine months. Nothing of this kind has ever happened in the UN before. Moscow and Beijing have been steadily resisting all attempts by the West to resolve the crisis in Syria behind the backs of the Syrian people.

Responding to the western criticism of the Russian position, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich described as “gross insinuations” the attempts by the West to blame Russia for the continuing violence in Syria. Lukashevich expressed concern about the West’s intention to bypass the UN in resolving the Syrian conflict and urged the international community to prepare an appropriate response to these kinds of statements in the future.

In its turn, China has accused the West of trying to push through an ill-prepared document. It’s the western diplomats who are to blame for the failure of the resolution, not Russia and China, Xinhua reports. London and Washington are keen on tying Damascus’ hands turning a blind eye to the acts of violence on the part of anti-government forces whom they support, the reports said.

Syria has left the UN split once again. The West and its neighbors are sure that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is doomed and they must help in “seeing it off”. Former Soviet and Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Zotov comments.

"The problem is not President Assad, but how to resolve the crisis with minimum losses for the country. Syrians will have to overcome the moral, physical, and psychological traumas of late and face a new stage in the country’s development. This calls for a compromise. But a compromise will be hard to reach. The opposition does not have a leader. It is not united. What keeps it together is the desire to see President Assad go."

The conflict in Syria might deteriorate into an inter-religious conflict and the country might find itself on the brink of collapse. According to experts, forces from Iran and Saudi Arabia are involved in military operations on the territory of Syria. Iran is helping its ally, while Saudi Arabia is seeking to overthrow the regime. Analyst Sergei Demidenko comments.

"Resorting to any drastic actions in Syria will be disastrous and will lead to unpredictable consequences. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the proponents of crushing the Syrian regime. Syria is like a bone in their throat being the only secular state in the Middle East."

If the attempts to bring the Assad regime down are crowned with success, radical Islamists will come to power in Syria. Israel will become their next target, for there are no Islamists who would be willing to peacefully co-exist with Israel. Syria’s chemical weapons could land in the hands of militants and terrorists.

The recent bus explosion which killed Israeli tourists in Bulgaria has worsened the deteriorating crisis in the region. The attack came on the heels of the killing of President Assad’s defense, interior and intelligence ministers in Damascus. These two incidents testify to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Radical Islamic extremists that have been increasingly active in the Middle East represent a hidden threat to Israel. This opinion belongs to Vladimir Sotnikov of the Institute of Global Economy and International Relations.

"Encouraged by the recent developments in the Middle East, the developments in Libya, Egypt, and Bulgaria, the Islamists could launch new attacks, and not only in countries bordering on the Middle East."

The aggravation of the conflict in and surrounding Syria has caused refugees to flee the country. The humanitarian crisis has already engulfed Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and a number of other countries. Judging by the situation in Libya, refugees don’t settle in one place – they cross borders to take residence in many countries of the world.