MOSCOW: Western powers on Friday turned down a Russian draft resolution calling for an immediate end to cross-border shellings and plans — supported by Turkey — for foreign ground intervention in Syria.

Russia expressed regret that the United Nations Security Council rejected its bid to halt Turkey’s military actions against Syria and vowed to continue supporting government forces against “terrorists”.

“We can only express regret that this draft resolution was rejected”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

He said Moscow was “concerned at the growing tension at the Syrian-Turkish border. Russia considers such cross-border shelling that Turkey is carrying out as unacceptable”.

President Vladimir Putin held a “detailed discussion of the situation in Syria particularly due to the escalation in tensions on the Syrian-Turkish border,” on Friday with his security council, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Peskov stressed that Syrian government troops were coming under fire in the area being shelled by Turkey, as well as Kurdish fighters.

The Kremlin spokesman underlined that Russia is set to continue its support for President Bashar al-Assad’s ground offensive.

“Russia is continuing a consistent line to provide assistance and help to the armed forces of Syria in their offensive actions against terrorists, against terrorist organisations,” Peskov said.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2016