Russia’s Reasons for UN Veto

... because it has a naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus. It is Russia’s only strategically significant military presence in the entire Middle East. Who knows what will happen to the base if the armed rebels take control of the country? As well, Syria is Russia’s only Arab allay, and Moscow, of course, would like to keep it that way. It is no secret that Moscow has problems with the notion of humanitarian interventions. It is not clear what those criteria for intervention are, and how to make sure that intervention doesn’t infringe on state’s sovereignty and that interveners are not guided by selfish ends. Unlawful exercise of ...