U.S. in standoff with Ukraine and Europe over competing U.N. resolutions about Russia-Ukraine war
The U.S. is lobbying countries around the world to oppose a resolution brought forward at the U.N. General Assembly by Ukraine and European countries.
The United States on Monday opposed a United Nations resolution backed by Ukraine and major European countries that calls for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, voting instead with Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan and 13 other countries.
Leading up to a series of votes Monday, the U.S. had been lobbying countries around the world to oppose the resolution, which was brought forward at the United Nations General Assembly on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and support a U.S. draft resolution instead.
Ultimately, though, the Trump administration was forced to abstain from its own resolution after European countries won support for three amendments to it.
The amendments replaced language referring to “the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” with “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation”; added a commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders; and expanded wording about a “lasting peace” between Ukraine and Russia to a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace,” “in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States.”
“These amendments pursue a war of words rather than an end to the war,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said shortly before the vote. “The attempt to add this language detracts from what we are trying to achieve with this forward-looking resolution, a firm consensus from the members of this body to unite behind a resolution calling for the end to this conflict.”
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