The United States has proposed a draft UN resolution that uses less critical language of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine than a draft resolution put forward by the European Union and Ukraine.
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The two drafts were proposed to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, when the UN General Assembly is scheduled to vote on the resolutions.
The U.S. draft, proposed on February 21, mourns “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” calls for a swift end, and urges a lasting peace. But it fails to mention territory occupied by Russia and doesn't single out Moscow as the source of the conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the resolution "simple and historic," and urged UN members to support it "in order to chart a path to peace."
"This resolution is consistent with President Trump’s view that the UN must return to its founding purpose, as enshrined in the UN Charter, to maintain international peace and security, including through the peaceful settlement of disputes," Rubio said in a statement.
By contrast, the draft resolution from the European Union and Ukraine refers to “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and demands an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all of Moscow’s forces.
The Ukrainian-European text stresses the need to redouble diplomatic efforts to end the war this year, while blaming Russia for the invasion and committing to Kyiv's "territorial integrity." It also recalls the need to implement all previous assembly resolutions “adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine.”
The draft resolutions were circulated at the UN headquarters in New York amid a rift between the United States and Europe on how to negotiate an end to the war. The long-standing transatlantic alliance has been shaken over the Trump administration's decision to open negotiations with Russia this week in Saudi Arabia without representatives of Ukraine and the European Union at the table.
SEE ALSO: Trump Calls Zelenskyy 'Dictator Without Elections,' Urges Him To 'Move Fast'After Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to take part in the talks in Riyadh on February 18, the Ukrainian president said President Donald Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space.”
Trump responded by falsely blaming Zelenskyy for allowing the war to start and describing him as a “dictator without elections.” The country has been unable to hold a presidential election while under martial law.
“It’s a good move,” Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told UN reporters in reference to the U.S. resolution.
Russia has also suggested an amendment to the U.S. resolution to add the phrase “including by addressing its root causes.” This would change the final line to read “implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
The General Assembly has become the most important UN body dealing with Ukraine. Unlike the UN Security Council, where permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States have veto power, no member state has a veto in the General Assembly.
Resolutions passed by the 193-member body are not legally binding but are closely watched around the world.
The General Assembly adopted six resolutions on the conflict in 2022, denouncing Moscow and demanding Russia withdraw all its troops. One of the other early resolutions condemned Russia's "attempted illegal annexation" of four regions of Ukraine. It won the greatest support with 143 states voting yes.