The military intervention by the Western-led coalition force in Libya’s civil war is out of tune with the relevant UN Security Council resolution, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
“We believe that the coalition’s intervention in the civil war [in Libya] has not, essentially, been sanctioned by the UN Security Council resolution,” said, adding its only purpose “is to ensure the protection of the civilian population.”
“This resolution contains no other goals,” he said.
Russia abstained from the Security Council vote.
On Sunday, NATO began taking command of all aerial operations in Libya from the US-led force. The transfer of authority will take up to three days.
Russia abstained from a UN Security Council resolution adopted on March 17 imposing a no-fly zone over Libya and measures to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s forces.
Western-led military strikes against Gaddafi, whose forces have been attacking rebels in the
east of the North African country since mid-February, began last Saturday.
Libyan television has reported that at least 100 civilians have been killed and over 150 wounded in the strikes and that many health and education facilities have been destroyed. Coalition commanders deny this.
Source: MOSCOW, March 28 (RIA Novosti)
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