The decision by Russia to abstain from the vote on the Bahrain-led UN Security Council resolution regarding the Middle East aligns with the country’s national interests, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the question of whether Russia should have exercised its veto power might receive an affirmative answer if one were guided by emotions. However, the senator noted that from the perspective of national interests, it was not worth doing so, as the Gulf states are just as much partners for Moscow as Iran is. In the current situation, he emphasized, the decision to abstain was a choice between unfavorable options, and he expressed hope that over time, this step would prove to be in line with Russia’s long-term interests.
Kosachev also pointed out that the situation in the UN Security Council proved difficult for Russian diplomacy. He stated that Moscow attempted to facilitate a compromise between the opposing positions of Iran, the US, Israel, and the Gulf states, which found themselves caught between these sides. To this end, Russia proposed a draft resolution that did not mention any specific party to the conflict and called for an immediate de-escalation; however, the US vetoed the document.
Following this, the senator continued, Bahrain — reflecting the position of the Gulf states — presented a draft resolution strongly condemning Iran’s strikes on their territories, while the text omitted any mention of the US and Israel or Iran’s right to respond. The document was adopted, while Russia and China abstained from the vote. Kosachev stressed that he considers the resolution unfair and one-sided: in his assessment, although Iran is acting with excessive harshness, the responsibility for the current conflict lies not with Tehran, but with the two states that he believe are attempting to achieve regime change in Iran against the will of its citizens.
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council adopted the resolution prepared by Bahrain on the Middle East conflict, which condemns Iran’s actions but does not mention the attacks by the US and Israel. Thirteen of the fifteen Security Council members voted in favor of the document, while Russia and China abstained.
The draft resolution, prepared by Bahrain with the support of the Gulf states, focuses exclusively on Iran's actions and contains no mention of the US or Israel. Specifically, the document condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian attacks on the territories of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, characterizing them as a violation of international law.
Additionally, the resolution demands that Tehran cease its strikes and condemns the actions of the Iranian authorities aimed at restricting the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS