Divides between the United States, Kyiv, and its European allies deepened after the Trump administration released a draft of a United Nations resolution regarding the Ukraine war.
On Monday, the U.N.’s General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution that marks the third anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war.
The draft resolution proposed by the U.S. Friday called for “a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.” The document also decried the staggering loss of life during the war, and reiterated “that the principal purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security and to peacefully settle disputes.”
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The proposal from the U.S. comes after the Trump administration on Thursday declined to co-sponsor a rival U.N. resolution backed by the European Union and Ukraine that issued a much harsher stance on Russia. Where the U.S.’s proposal avoids condemning Moscow directly, the EU’s draft refers to the war as “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” and calls on Russia to “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.”
Russia has backed the U.S. draft, telling the media it was “a good move.” The U.S. also briefed Moscow on the text before circulating it to the other members of the General Assembly, according to Russia’s envoy to the U.N., Vasily Nebenzya.
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In a statement announcing the draft resolution Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the proposal as a crucial step in ending the war and urged U.N. member nations to support the move “in order to chart a path to peace.”
“If the United Nations is truly committed to its original purpose, we must acknowledge that while challenges may arise, the goal of lasting peace remains achievable. Through support of this resolution, we affirm that this conflict is awful, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible,” Rubio said. “This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace.”
The friction between the U.S. and Europe’s resolutions stems from deep disagreements over the extent to which Russia bears full responsibility for the Ukrainian war. Kyiv, many of its European allies, and previously the Biden administration, put the fault for the war solely on Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
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In contrast, President Donald Trump has placed some of the blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting he failed to take significant steps leading up to the conflict to avert the war.
Russian casualties are approaching 1 million dead and wounded, while Trump has suggested 700,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed. Zelensky stated that he had only lost 43,000 soldiers.