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Parliament is expected to make a formal call for an end to American-led hostilities before the week is out, international media say.
This came as Libyan authorities said the Western bombardment of the North African country was not in the interests of civilians – as has been claimed – but to help rebels regain territory they have lost in the past week.
Xinhua last night quoted Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov saying “we distanced ourselves from a military intervention with unpredictable consequences”.
He also said there was currently no information about a possible ground operation led by foreign countries in Libya.
The State Duma (Parliament) is expected to adopt a statement calling on Western countries to stop military operations in Libya to avoid civilian deaths.
Russia urged the UN Security Council not to pass the resolution sanctioning military intervention “in haste,” in order to allow relevant parties “to resolve the problem within political mechanisms,” Gatilov said.
“But a force-using scenario unfortunately prevailed,” he said, referring to UN Resolution 1973, which was passed by the Security Council 10-0 last Thursday, with Russia and four other countries abstaining.
The deputy minister said Russia abstained on the grounds that civilians must be definitely protected and violence must be stopped in Libya.
Russia’s decision not to use the right of veto was carefully weighed and made knowingly, Gatilov said.
Resolution 1973 authorises the use of force and the creation of a no-fly zone in Libya, where protestors and the government have clashed for several weeks.
Libya’s Foreign Affairs officials yesterday said Western forces were more interested in helping rebels advance than actually protecting civilians.
They said the foreign forces had made it clear that they intended to assassinate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
“That is the problem. Now we are seeing the coalition forces, they are part of the war now against the legitimate government. I think they are working now outside the mandate of the United Nations.
“They are helping one party against the other which is illegal, illegitimate and also it’s a failure for the coalition to abide with the mandate given by the United Nations,” a senior Foreign Affairs official was quoted by Xinhua saying.
This came as Sri Lanka added its voice to a chorus of international discontent with the West’s military involvement in Libya.
Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister GL Peiris yesterday told Parliament that the air strikes against Libya were contrary to the UN resolution.
“These strikes are harming civilians and are also a violation of the territorial integrity of an independent country,” Peiris said.
Faced with the growing criticism of its role, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said American might cede control of the operation as soon as Saturday.
Gates said they had not thought the assault would last more than two or three weeks. – Xinhua-online.