US, Russia disagree on Libya arms drop

Libyan revolutionaries

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/186984.html

The US has opposed Russia's stance after Moscow criticized France for providing weapons for Libyan revolutionaries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that the arms drop report "would be a brazen violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1970."

However, US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said later on Thursday that "UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, read together... neither specified nor precluded providing defense materiel to the Libyan opposition."

"So my bottom line is, we would respectfully disagree with the Russian assessment," Toner was quoted by AFP as saying.

A UN resolution in February prohibited countries from providing any kind of arms to Libya.

Meanwhile, Resolution 1973 in March authorized nations "to take all necessary measures" to help protect civilians against forces loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Russia abstained from the second vote and has since criticized the extent of the international involvement.