During the evening of Wednesday 11 April, an EU spokesperson told EUROPE that "the Russian veto and the failure of the United Nations Security Council to reach an agreement for a new resolution establishing an independent mechanism of investigation under OPCW are highly regrettable" (see EUROPE 11999). The spokesperson reiterated "the strong need for accountability in Syria for all war crimes committed and in particular for the use of chemical weapons", adding that there is an urgent need to investigate the attacks in Douma to establish the responsibility for such attacks.
The spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Maja Kocijancic, told press on 12 April that the use of chemical weapons was "a war crime and a crime against humanity".
The Russian veto on this investigation mechanism is the country's twelfth veto on a UNSC resolution on Syria since the start of the war in 2011.
Furthermore, Kocijancic also said that "many contacts were ongoing", especially with the member states, including France. She refused to comment on the possibility of Western strikes, especially from the USA and France, in retaliation for the chemical attack.
The subject of Syria has been added to the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 April. EUROPE will return to this. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)