Russia 'dismayed' by Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says he is “dismayed” that the Saudi-led coalition refrained from consulting the UN Security Council before initiating its attacks against Yemen.
"Right now (the operation) does not have any foundation in international law. Of course we were a little dismayed, to put it mildly, that the operation was begun without any consultations," AFP quoted Lavrov as saying during an interview on Monday.
He added that the even though Russia values its relations with Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition, “they came to the Security Council post-factum, and started asking for approval of what they had begun.”
The foreign minister went on to say it was not possible for Russia to approve of one side of the conflict and outlaw the other.
The Russian top diplomat also called on the warring sides to reenter negotiations to end the ongoing crisis.
Russia, a permanent member of the council, has also urged a humanitarian pause in the airstrikes by the coalition.
Earlier on Monday, at least six civilians, all members of a single family, were killed when Saudi warplanes bombed a village on the western outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sana’a.
Saudi Arabia’s air campaign against Yemen started on March 26 without a UN mandate in a bid to restore power to Yemen’s former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
Hundreds of civilians, including women and children, have been killed in the Saudi airborne attacks against Yemen.
SRK/NN/AS
Storm aftermath exposes chaos in Dubai after UAE hit by record rains
Oman flash floods kill nearly 20, including children
EU, US pledge $355 million to Westernize Armenia amid Russia tensions
Spain turns away ship carrying arms to occupied territories
Hamas to Abbas: Israel never awaited excuses to tyrannize Palestinians
VIDEO | Genocide against Palestinians
Anti-Islam Wilders's coalition deal spells sharp shift to hard-right
VIDEO | Nakba: Is history repeating itself?
Putin in Beijing: Russia, China agree to deepen ‘strategic partnership’
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | Nakba Day 2024, ongoing genocide
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
