 "Tracers are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire at the drone during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. File image/ Reuters")
The United States is asking the United Nations General Assembly to support its resolution commemorating the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday, reject any revisions, and vote against a competing language draughted by Ukraine and European allies.
In a diplomatic message written on Sunday that was accessed by Reuters, the US described the modest proposal as “a forward-looking resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war.”
“Through this resolution, Member States can build real momentum towards international peace and security, the maintenance of which is the principal purpose of the United Nations,” it said, asking countries to “vote no on any other resolution or amendments presented” during Monday’s meeting.
The United States’ draft resolution, presented on Friday, places it against Ukraine and the European Union, which have been negotiating with U.N. member states for the last month on their own resolution on the crisis in Ukraine, which reiterates the U.N. demand that Russia withdraw its soldiers and cease hostilities.
Since the beginning of the war, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly has unanimously supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised boundaries. The United States draft makes no mention of this.
The US resolution mourns the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” and emphasises that the UN’s primary goal is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully resolve disagreements. It “implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
Proposed amendments
The 15-member Security Council is also set to vote on the same U.S. text later on Monday, diplomats said. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, Britain or France to be adopted.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe U.S. push for U.N. action comes after President Donald Trump launched a bid to broker an end to the war, sparking a rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and raising concerns among European allies that they could be cut out of peace talks. U.S. and Russian officials met on Tuesday.
The General Assembly is set to vote on several proposed amendments to the U.S. draft resolution.
Russia has proposed amending the U.S. draft to reference addressing the “root causes” of the war. Russia called its 2022 invasion a “special military operation” designed to “denazify” Ukraine and halt an expansion of NATO.
Britain and 24 European Union states have also proposed amendments to the U.S. draft in the General Assembly.
They want to describe the conflict as “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” back Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and implore “just, lasting and comprehensive peace” in line with the U.N. Charter and principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. No country holds a veto in the assembly.