Russia leads UN initiative to target IS financing

UNITED NATIONS - Russia is leading a UN Security Council initiative to ratchet up pressure on countries to cut off the cash flow to Islamic State militants, Russia and council diplomats said on Wednesday.

The announcement comes after the 15-nation Security Council condemned Islamic State's burning alive of a captive Jordanian pilot.

Moscow is drafting a legally binding resolution on the subject.

"We are preparing (the resolution) and we hope it'll be adopted by the UN Security Council in the coming days," a spokesman for Russia's United Nations mission said.

Russia circulated a draft to the council's other permanent members - the United States, Britain, France and China - and is expected to distribute it to the full council soon, Western diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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