Germany, Belgium and Kuwait presented a resolution extending that authority for a year, winning the support of 13 council members but drawing the vetoes of Russia and China. A competing Russian resolution would have granted a six-month extension while reducing the number of UN crossing points, but it failed to get the minimum nine votes.
Russia, an ally and major supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has used its veto 14 times on Syrian issues since civil war broke out there in 2011. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said the latest resolution was "obsolete" because the authorities in Damascus had "retaken control of most" of Syria's territory. But the UN humanitarian relief department says the aid remains crucial as the situation on the ground has deteriorated and Syria is heading into winter.