After Russia (along with China) vetoed a resolution on Syria back in October, the UN Security Council has remained in a stalemate. This week though, Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador to the UN, introduced a draft resolution on Syria that while not strong, does put some pressure on the al-Assad government to end the attacks on its own people.

Churkin told reporters that he hoped the resolution would help “stop violence, uphold human rights” and expedite government reforms. “We all believe the Security Council must do something.” He said the council should not play a role that would “fan the conflict” but instead “bring an end to the crisis.”

via Turtle Bay

I find the language pretty soft, with the resolution mainly calling for both sides to follow the peace process plan laid out by the Arab League. The most interesting part is the decision to readdress the situation in thirty days, which I take to mean that Russia might be open to more concrete action if the situation does not improve.