U.S. and Russia reach agreement on Syria’s chemical weapons

The United States and Russia reached an agreement on Thursday on a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution concerning ridding Syria of its chemical weapons.

According to Reuters, the draft resolution makes it legally binding for Syria to relinquish its chemical weapons but does not allow for automatic enforcement with a military strike if Syria does not comply. A strike is not out of the question however, as the US can proceed with a second resolution authorizing such force if Syria fails to hand over its weapons. However, in this situation, Russia will be able to respond with a veto.

The resolution also does not place any blame on any party for the Aug. 21 attack that killed hundreds of Syrians, The New York Times reports. While the agreement has been called a “breakthrough,” the Security Council expressed concerns that it does not show the Council’s “strong conviction” that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime should be held responsible for the attack.