The Arab League and Western powers in the UN Security Council gave assurances that they were not seeking military action to end the bloodshed in Syria, in an effort to bring Russia and China onboard for a solution. The statements by the league and Western governments were delivered in a high profile council meeting in New York attended by several government ministers and a high-ranking delegation from the Arab League. Russia and China were strongly opposed to the current draft resolution by the Western powers that would back the Arab League, based on their concerns that the draft could eventually lead to military action in Syria. The two countries have also blocked previous efforts to pass a resolution condemning the Syrian government's human rights violations.
