Russia, China veto UN sanctions on Zimbabwe

— China and Russia on Friday blocked a US draft resolution in the UN Security Council that would have slapped sanctions on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe over his disputed re-election.

The Chinese and Russian envoys joined their colleagues from South Africa, Libya and Vietnam in opposing the draft which would have imposed an assets freeze and a travel ban on Mugabe and 13 of his cronies, as well as an arms embargo. Indonesia abstained.

It was the first double veto by Russia and China since January 2007 when they vetoed a draft resolution in the 15-member council that would have urged Burma to ease repression and release political prisoners.

Voting in favor in Friday's vote were the United States, Britain, France, Burkina Faso, Belgium, Costa Rica, Italy, Panama and Croatia.

The sponsors said the sanctions were needed to put pressure on Mugabe to stop the violence against his political foes and enhance prospects of democratic rule through a power sharing deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Opponents argued that passage of the text would undermine ongoing South African-mediated negotiations between Zimbabwe's ruling party and its opposition and would have run counter to the wishes of African Union leaders at their summit in Egypt earlier this month.

US's UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he wad "disappointed by the Russian and Chinese vetoes.

The "U-turn" in the Russian position was particularly "disturbing" and raises questions about Moscow's "reliability as a G8 partner," he added.

Khalilzad said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier this week supported a G8 statement at a summit in Japan that promised new actions, including targeted "financial measures" against Mugabe and his cronies.

French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert told reporters that Friday's vote was "a failure for the Security Council."

"We think some sanctions should have been added to get the people responsible for the violence to change their attitude," he said. "We regret what has happened."