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The vast majority of the council voted in favor of the resolution — some 11 other nations. Unfortunately, Russia and China vetoed it. That was hardly a surprise. They’d rather shoot down something that we authored simply because we authored it, rather than consider the strength of what it called for with overwhelming council support.
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Q A quick follow-up and then a ques- — well, first question. (Laughter.) Sorry, John.
Is there — can you explain the difference between the veto that was offered by China and Russia to a peace — to peace in the Middle East — a ceasefire — and one that we offered in February? What’s the difference?
MR. KIRBY: Yeah, ours was — ours was based on substance. Ours was based on the actual content in the resolution, which just called for an immediate ceasefire, no condemnation of Hamas, no connection to getting the hostages out, nothing in there about humanitarian assistance.
We support an immediate ceasefire but, as our resolution said, in connection with a hostage deal that gets those people home, gets more aid in, and actually, for the first time, in the — at the Security Council, condemns Hamas for what they did on the 7th of October.
Our objections and our vetoes were based on substance and content. The objections in the vetoes today by Russia and China were simply based on politics. Because we authored it, it had to be bad.
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Source: The White House
Speakers: John Kirby, National Security Communications Advisor
Format: Press Briefing
China Policy Research 