U.S. attempts to block Ukrainian UN resolution condemning Russia, proposes controversial alternative
The United States is reportedly attempting to thwart a Ukrainian-led UN resolution condemning Russia for its aggressive war, marking the third anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor. This development was reported on February 22 by Bloomberg and The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has called on UN members to support an American draft resolution. "The United States has proposed a straightforward, historic resolution to the United Nations, which we urge all member states to support in mapping a path to peace," stated the U.S. State Department on February 21.
"This resolution aligns with President Trump’s view that the UN must return to its core purpose, enshrined in the UN Charter — maintaining international peace and security, including through the peaceful resolution of disputes," the U.S. foreign policy body explained.
"We staunchly believe the time is ripe to commit to ending the war. This is our opportunity to create real momentum for establishing peace," officials added.
The U.S. draft resolution omits references to the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
In contrast to past UN resolutions supported by the U.S. and its allies, the current U.S. proposal reportedly lacks any mention of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, a point highlighted by Bloomberg. Sources familiar with the matter expressed surprise at the U.S.'s persistence and hesitance to condemn Russia for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
According to The Washington Post, the U.S. proposition was communicated to Ukrainian officials on February 21. Ukraine is resisting calls to withdraw its document, slated for release on February 24.
A source disclosed that initially, Washington reviewed Ukraine's draft resolution and "requested several amendments to temper it." Subsequently, the U.S. advanced its own resolution and urged Kyiv to retract a version already coordinated with international partners, the source revealed to the newspaper.
This new proposal reportedly "shocked" Ukrainians, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the Foreign Ministry not to pull their resolution.
Russia, on the other hand, is open to backing the U.S.'s altered document.
As reported by AFP, the American draft excludes mention of Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories. Diverging from earlier propositions initiated and supported by Washington, the most recent draft refrains from critiquing Moscow or identifying it as the aggressor in the conflict.
Russia has suggested an amendment to the document, adding the phrase "including by addressing its root causes" after the statement calling for the immediate cessation of conflict, noted Reuters. The Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, labeled the American draft as a "positive step."
According to a Russian diplomat who spoke anonymously to Reuters, Moscow is prepared to vote in favor of the U.S. resolution if this amendment gets the UN General Assembly's approval. Nebenzya also mentioned that U.S. officials briefed him on the draft before it was circulated among the 193 General Assembly members.