"All dead on the sampan."

"What about what you must do?" The Guardian omitted the question from its account of remarks made yesterday by Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations,Vladimir Safronkov:

... Safronkov condemned the “laments and wails about the deplorable humanitarian situation” as a tactic, adding it was getting in the way of the real political priorities: “The propaganda and the emotional rhetoric, the unfounded accusations, the information campaign, means that we cannot move toward a political settlement in Syria.

He said the main cause of humanitarian problems in Syria was not the “counterterrorist” actions by the legitimate government of Syria but the short-sighted democratisation policy of the US, supported by other western governments, which has led to destabilisation of a whole region.

He claimed the US had failed to make good on a February promise to draw a clear distinction between “terrorists” and moderate rebels.

“We still do not know where the moderate opposition and where the terrorists are located. The reason is there is a major temptation to use terrorists to achieve the west’s geopolitical plans for Syria.” ...

However, his question was included in SouthFront's somewhat muddled account of a muddled Financial Times report on the funding that Arab monarchies are still providing to support terrorist groups operating in Aleppo -- and elsewhere in Syria (If you're interested see Moon of Alabama's doomed attempt to make sense of the muddle created by FT, Who Now Leads The War On Syria - The CIA Or Turkey?):

“Propaganda, emotional rhetoric, groundless accusations and stoking tensions” are intentionally hindering a political settlement in Syria, Safronkov said at a UN Security Council session in New York. The diplomat also noted that “the only way to end the Syrian conflict was to unite in fighting terrorism and restore the political dialogue inside Syria.”

While Damascus and Moscow are organizing humanitarian relief in Aleppo and other Syrian regions, European diplomats in the UN say that “Russia must act,” Safronkov added.

“What about what you must do?” Safronkov asked his Security Council colleagues, stressing that the time has come to recognize that the source of the humanitarian crisis in the country cannot be [considered] the Syrian government’s counterterrorist operations.

Good points but Ambassador Safronkov is not correct when he identifies U.S. democratization policy as fueling Syria's long-running conflict. The American democracy doctrine is for tourists; it was perverted decades ago to serve American military ends -- a fact which the Russians should well remember about the 'color' revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia, etc. to install American puppet regimes. 

They should also recall the tactics used when the Obama administration decided to install the Muslim Brotherhood in power in Egypt.

None of that had anything to do with democracy; it was a stage show using democratic processes as props.

That's not all the policymakers in Washington turned into props for the Democracy Stage Show Kit. American ideals -- human rights, nonviolent protests, the responsibility to protect; why, even capitalism and the notions of development and modernization -- were twisted to serve a sneaky type of conquest.

As for the United Nations, it's for sale to the highest bidders. The highest bidders happen to be Al Saud and other rich Arab autocracies. That's why there is no protest from the UN about the Saudis buying an additional 5,000 Senegalese child soldiers to fight and die in Yemen for them. No protest either about the Saudis funding mercenary armies in Syria.   

As to any such protests from the USA -- yesterday the U.S. Department of State approved $1.5 billion for more war material sales to Saudi Arabia, in appreciation for the kingdom's contribution to "political stability and economic progress."  

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