UN: Russia blocking draft on Syria

UN: Russia blocking draft on Syria

"This text would not have any positive impact on the situation. If anything, it would create disruption of humanitarian efforts," he said, and dismissed the draft as a political measure introduced to whip up political tensions around Syria, AP reported.

The agency also said that "Russia and China, which support the Syrian government, have blocked three previous Western-backed resolutions that would have pressured President Bashar Assad to end the now three-year-old civil war."

The Security Council in October adopted a presidential statement calling for immediate access to all areas of Syria to deliver aid, but Western and Arab countries want to go a step further with a legally binding resolution but Russia's opposition dooms their effort, AP reported.

"This text is not going to be adopted, I can tell you," Churkin said, and added that his country was "talking about things that the Security Council can conceivably do usefully in order to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria."

"If we produce something which is pragmatically useful and will go to a vote I hope it will be adopted," he said.