The United States is refusing to support a draft resolution at the United Nations marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and again calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops, three diplomatic sources told Reuters. This marks an attempt to change the stance of Ukraine’s most powerful Western ally.
Washington has also opposed a phrase in a statement the Group of Seven (G7) countries had planned to release next week, which would condemn Russian aggression, two other sources told Reuters.
The US refusal to accept language that has been regularly used by the UN and the G7 since February 2022 comes amid a deepening divide between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
Trump is trying to end the war in Ukraine quickly and sent a team to hold talks with Russia this week in Saudi Arabia without involving Kiev.
Ukraine’s allies have used the second anniversary of the war’s start, on February 24, to reiterate their condemnation of Russia’s invasion, but this year it is unclear how the US will address the issue.
At the UN, countries can choose to support a resolution until the moment of voting. The General Assembly, composed of 193 states, is expected to vote on Monday, diplomats said. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but carry political weight, reflecting a global stance on the war.
“In the past years, the United States has consistently supported such resolutions to support a fair peace in Ukraine,” one source said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.
The first diplomatic source told Reuters that the resolution is sponsored by more than 50 countries, but did not identify them.
Another diplomatic source, also requesting anonymity, said, “For now, the situation is that they (the US) will not sign it. Efforts are ongoing to seek support from other countries, including those from the ‘Global South,’ ” the source added.
A spokesperson for the US diplomatic mission to the UN in Geneva did not respond to a request for comment.
The G7 plans to hold a meeting on Monday, three sources told Reuters, but so far the US is opposing language on “Russian aggression.” A statement issued by G7 foreign ministers last week did not mention Russian aggression but referred to “Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine.”
This disagreement represents a major political crisis for Ukraine, which has relied on tens of billions of dollars in military aid from the US, approved under the previous US administration, to withstand Russia’s invasion and has also benefited from diplomatic support.
