UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Russia has taken the lead in denying cash flow to the Islamic State through a United Nations resolution, diplomats said.

A draft resolution written by Russia and circulated among U.N. Security Council members targets sales of illegal oil exports, sales of antiquities from Iraq and Syria and hostage-taking ransom money, two unidentified U.N. diplomats said. They added Russia rarely writes such resolutions but is concerned that radicals in Chechnya, a part of Russian territory, are joining IS.


An unidentified Arab diplomat added the resolution may be a part of Russian strategy to shore up its influence in the Middle East, particularly with Gulf nations, waning since it sided with President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict.

The resolution will call for all U.N. members to prevent to sale of Syrian antiquities, similar to a resolution, adopted 10- years ago, pertinent to Iraqi antiquities, and sanctions against those who help IS smuggle oil from Syria.

A U.S. official at the United Nations said earlier this week U.S. diplomats "worked relatively constructively" with their Russian counterparts on the resolution.