Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, announced on 22 February that "there is no agreement" among the fifteen members of the Security Council to impose a thirty-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria. Despite more than two weeks of negotiations, international diplomacies remain far apart. And it is Russia that has chosen to distance itself sharply from the rest of the world on the question of Eastern Ghouta.

403 dead in Eastern Ghouta, including 95 children

The Moscow diplomat labelled as "catastrophist" the accounts of the current situation in the area: according to Russia, they do not correspond to reality. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights not only confirmed the information provided, but also revised upwards the death toll from the aerial military offensive launched by the government of Bashar al-Assad: the number of civilian dead has now reached 403, including 95 children. Humanitarian non-governmental organisations also said they were horrified by the violence of the bombardments, in the context of a war that has been devastating the country since 2001 and has claimed more than 340,000 lives. Médecins Sans Frontières, in particular, spoke of thirteen healthcare facilities in Eastern Ghouta having been struck (whereas initial reports had mentioned six hospitals bombed).

The United States and France pointed the finger at Russia's position — Russia being a supporter of Assad — underlining the "unsustainable situation" that civilians are being forced to endure. Sweden and Kuwait are also pressing for negotiations to continue and for the resolution that would bring about a month-long ceasefire to be adopted.