Washington warns that it would impose sanctions on parties obstructing the Libyan elections, Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Jeffrey DeLaurentis said on Monday, as he gave a briefing before a UN Security Council session on the developments in Libya.

"I want to remind those who are interfering in the Libyan elections or fueling violence that the UN Security Council may impose sanctions on anyone - Libyan or otherwise - who obstructs or undermines the elections," the US Rep. said, who insisted on the council to target "election spoilers" to promote accountability.

He urged parties to support the High National Elections Commission, highlighting that 2.8 million people have registered to vote in Libya, in which more than 2.5 million have collected their voting cards.

"It is time to respect the will of the Libyan people and transcend the back-to-back deals that are going on between a small circle of powerful individuals backed by armed groups."

During the same Security Council session, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said the path towards a unified and stable Libya goes through the ballot boxes, reaffirming the international community's support for the efforts to hold elections.

Meanwhile, the UK representative in the Security Council said the postponement of the elections was disappointing. He stressed the need to restore the momentum and to get all foreign forces and mercenaries out of Libya without delay through the Joint Military Committee (JMC) plan, which he praised for its work.

On the other hand, the Russian delegate criticized the stalemate and the lack of progress in the military track led by the JMC and called for additional measures to prevent a new round of violence.

He expressed concern over the vacuum in the leadership of the UN mission in Libya, indicating that the Security Council should be flexible in determining the duration of the mission's mandate.

The Russian diplomat also emphasized the need for the Secretary-General to propose names for occupying this post and called for the involvement of all political parties in the Libyan elections to ensure acceptance of its results.