“If a warhead, by design or by chance, were to hit the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MSNR) near Damascus, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich stated, according to Russia Today. Lukashevich said if a military strike were launched without seeking approval from the United Nations Security Council  that new suffering for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa would occur. He added that the region could be at risk of “contamination by highly enriched uranium and it would no longer be possible to account for nuclear material, its safety and control.”

A Senate panel voted Wednesday to give President Barack Obama the authority to use military force against Syria in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack.  The resolution would permit Obama to order a limited military mission against Syria, as long as it doesn’t exceed 90 days and involves no American troops on the ground for combat operations.

Obama traveled to Sweden on Wednesday ahead of the G20 Summit as he is seeking international support for a military strike against Syria for use of chemical weapons. Obama landed in Stockholm to meet with Swedish Prime Minister John Fredrik Reinfeldt for a press conference on their shared views for international action in Syria.

Obama expressed optimism that Congress would vote to approve his call for military action in Syria, and said that it is not just an American issue, it’s a worldwide concern.