UN Security Council shelves Russian appeal to drop plans for sending troops to Syria

The UN Security Council on Friday decided to delay consideration of a Russian proposal that countries considering to send ground combat troops into Syria drop the idea.

Ambassador Rafael Ramirez Carreno of Venezuela, this month's president of the panel of 15, told reporters that after consultations, a decision was made to consider the proposal over the weekend and bring it up on Monday.

But, he quickly added, at any time over the weekend, "We are ready to call an extraordinary meeting if necessary."

Speaking as the Caracas envoy, Ramirez said, "Venezuela is really worried about the situation in the area of the border between Syria and Turkey escalating. It is very, very complicated...It's very dangerous."

He was referring to Turkey responding to fire from across its southern border with Syria.

For his part, Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov, the deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, told reporters, "The main elements of this draft resolution demand all parties to refrain from interfering in Syria; to fully respect its sovereignty and independence; abandon plans for ground operations which would undermine all fundamental decisions of Resolution 2254."

The resolution was approved by the council in December and endorsed a roadmap for peace in Syria.

"This is a distraction," said U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power in one of the briefer comments on the Moscow move, preceded by recalling Russia was waging a "bombing campaign in Northern Syria."

Ambassador Yasar Halit Cevik of Turkey said Ankara also respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria and, as a member of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and part of the International Coalition fighting against the Islamic State or Daesh, the country is in favor of a political solution in Syria.

"The crisis in Syria has been affecting Turkey significantly," he said. "We have been facing national security threats and attacks emanating from Syria since the start of the conflict, including from terrorist organizations therein. These threats have gained new dimensions and changed over time, but have always increased."

"We would not hesitate to exercise our inherent right of self-defense under international law," Cevik said, adding that "one of the components of our rules of engagement is retaliation to fire emanating from Syrian soil."

"For Turkey, as for any other country, national security is a serious matter," the ambassador said. "It is only natural that we take the relevant measures in response to the increase of threats and risks emanating from Syria." Endi