France rejects Russian UN text on Turkish actions in Syria, slams Russia for 'dangerous' escalation

France on Friday rejected a Russian draft UN resolution aimed at halting Turkey's military actions in Syria, and said Moscow's backing of Syrian forces had led to a dangerous escalation in the war.

"We are facing a dangerous military escalation that could easily get out of control and lead us to uncharted territory," French Ambassador Francois Delattre said.

In the resolution, Russia asked the United Nations Security Council on Friday to call for Syria's sovereignty to be respected, for cross-border shellings and incursions to be halted and for "attempts or plans for foreign ground intervention" to be abandoned, although the regime literally continues to remain through Russian presence in the country.

Russia circulated a short draft resolution to the 15-member council over concerns about an escalation in hostilities on the Turkey/Syria border and possible plans for a Turkish ground operation. The document does not name Turkey.

The Security Council met on Friday afternoon to discuss the draft.

The draft, seen by Reuters, would have the council express "its grave alarm at the reports of military buildup and preparatory activities aimed at launching foreign ground intervention into the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic."

On the way into the council meeting, veto powers U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, and French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre both said the Russian draft resolution has no future.

The draft also demands that states "refrain from provocative rhetoric and inflammatory statements inciting further violence and interference into internal affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told Reuters this week that his country, Saudi Arabia and some European powers wanted ground troops in Syria, though no serious plan had been debated.

Russia's relations with Turkey hit a low in November when Turkish warplanes downed a Russian bomber breaching its airspace near the Syrian-Turkish border.