Russia loses in vote to criticize US leaving missile treaty

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia has lost a vote that would have allowed the U.N. General Assembly to consider a resolution supporting a landmark missile treaty and opposing U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from it.

Friday's vote to put the Russian resolution backing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on the agenda of the Assembly's disarmament committee was 31 countries in favor, 55 against and 54 abstaining.

Senior Russian arms control official Andrei Belousov said he didn't understand the vote, saying Moscow "tried to send a serious signal to U.S. political circles about the danger of the course chosen by the current administration."

Robert Wood, U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, called the Russian draft a "very politicized resolution" that was not submitted by the disarmament committee's deadline to be considered.