"The regrettable failure of the Security Council to condemn the Assad regime through the Russian and Chinese veto was perceived on the ground as a licence to use heavy weapons for the indiscriminate use of force resulting in many civilians, women and children dead or wounded", said Ioannis Kasoulides MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Foreign Affairs, following the adoption of the Resolution on the situation in Syria by the plenary of the European Parliament on Thursday 16 February 2012.

"The Russians wanted to put the oppressed and the oppressors on an equal footing condemning both in order, as Mr Lavrov explained, to avoid civil war. The Russian veto is achieving just that. Desperate oppressed people are taking desperate measures to defend themselves and the country due to deficiencies of the international community and it is heading towards civil war", Ioannis Kasoulides added.

"Our position is the same as in all other Arab Spring countries. We cannot remain idle faced with a massacre on such a scale, tantamounting to a crime against humanity", Ioannis Kasoulides continued, while commending the High Representative's statement for further sanctions and restrictive measures to be introduced and her intentions to get together with all the other interested international actors for a concerted action to end this intolerable repression.

"No regime which turns its military might against its own people has survived and this one will not either", Ioannis Kasoulides concluded.

Speaking in the debate on the situation in Syria, José Ignacio Salafranca MEP supported the measures taken by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, and pointed out that "once again, we have missed the opportunity for a more coordinated and effective response from the Member States. EU action has not been able to stop violence or overcome the veto of Russia and China in the UN and this is highly regrettable", he continued. Mr Salafranca called on EU governments to increase their pressure on Russia and China and regretted the fact that this was not possible during the EU-China Summit.

José Ignacio Salafranca called for support for the Arab League initiatives to reinforce the links with Syrian opposition and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor and its plan for a political and peaceful transition and for UN/Arab League cooperation on the ground.