Russia Vetoes UN Move to Condemn Srebrenica Massacre as Genocide

July 8, 2015

A poster of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the words Republika Srpska (Serb Republic) printed on it is seen inside the main residence of an abandoned agricultural cooperative in Kravica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 1, 2015.

UNITED NATIONS — Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have condemned the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide to mark the 20th anniversary of the killing of 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

China, Nigeria, Angola and Venezuela abstained and the remaining 10 members of the council voted in favor. The vote was delayed a day as Britain and the United States tried to persuade Russia not to veto the resolution, which would have also condemned denial of the 1995 massacre as a genocide.

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin deemed the British-drafted resolution "not constructive, confrontational and politically motivated." Russia had instead proposed condemning "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community."

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