Sergei Lavrov defends the UN Charter

In a recent speech in Helsinki, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that any outside intervention in Syria must have UN Security Council approval. Via Reuters: "We find it appropriate to defend the U.N. Charter that states the use of force can be only be decided by the Security Council," Lavrov said in a speech ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

In a recent speech in Helsinki, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that any outside intervention in Syria must have UN Security Council approval. Via Reuters:

In a recent speech in Helsinki, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that any outside intervention in Syria must have UN Security Council approval. Via Reuters:

"We find it appropriate to defend the U.N. Charter that states the use of force can be only be decided by the Security Council," Lavrov said in a speech in Helsinki, where he was meeting Finnish government leaders.

"Syria’s situation is important and causing worry not only because of the bloodshed but also because the outcome of this drama will impact the way conflicts will be resolved; either following the U.N. Charter, or democracy by bombs, will win."

This is pretty standard Russian fare, but it is notable in the context of some hints last month that Moscow might not object too vociferously–or, to be more precise, object publicly but acquiesce privately–if the West were to intervene without the Security Council’s blessing. 

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

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