Russia wins fight to limit aid to Syrian rebels to 6 months

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Security Council headed toward approval of a U.N. resolution Tuesday to extend humanitarian aid deliveries to 4.1 million people in Syria's rebel-held northwest, after Russia won its demand for only a six-month mandate.

Ireland and Norway, which had sponsored a resolution calling for a yearlong extension that was vetoed Friday by Russia, circulated a new draft Monday that provides for a six-month extension of deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing until Jan. 10, 2023.

As Russia demanded, a further six-month extension after that would require a new Security Council resolution.

Brazil's U.N. Mission, which holds the council presidency this month, scheduled a vote for Tuesday morning.

The draft resolution is almost identical to the Russian draft resolution that failed to get council support last Friday.

At the heart of the apparent backdown by supporters of a year-long extension is Russia’s adamant refusal to consider any timetable beyond six months, and the fact that the Security Council’s last mandate, for a year, ended Sunday stranding U.N. cross-border deliveries.

In Friday’s votes, the Ireland-Norway draft resolution for a one-year extension was supported by 13 countries, with China abstaining and Russia using its veto to defeat the measure.

Council members then voted on the rival Russian resolution for a six-month extension which got only 2 “yes” votes, with China the only country to join its ally Russia in supporting the resolution. The three other veto-wielding permanent council members — the United States, Britain and France — voted against it and 10 countries abstained. The vetoes were not needed, however, because the resolution failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes required for approval.

U.S. ambassador Linda...