In a victory for Ukraine on the third anniversary of the Invasion of Russia, the UN General Assembly refused on Monday to approve a resolution backed by the United States that urged the end of the war without mentioning the aggression of Moscow. Instead, he approved a Ukrainian resolution backed by Europe that demands that Russia immediately withdraw its forces, to which the Trump administration opposed.
It was a setback for the Trump administration in the world body of 193 members, whose resolutions are not legally binding, but are seen as a barometer of world opinion. But he also showed a little diminished support for Ukraine, whose resolution approved 93-18, with 65 abstentions. That is lower than the previous votes, who saw more than 140 nations condemn Russia's aggression and demand their immediate retirement.
The United States had tried to pressure Ukrainians to withdraw their resolution in favor of their proposal, including a last minute appeal of the United States attached ambassador, Dorothy Shea. Ukraine refused, and the Assembly approved three amendments proposed by Europe that added language to the US proposal. Making it clear that Russia invaded its smallest neighbor in violation of the UN Charter.
The vote on the resolution of the United States was amended was 93-8 with 73 abstentions, with Ukraine voting “yes”, the United States refrains and the vote of Russia “no”.
The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mariana Betsa, said that her country is exercising her “right inherent in self -defense” after Russia's invasion, which violates the UN letter requirement that countries respect sovereignty and sovereignty and The territorial integrity of other nations.
“As we mark three years of this devastation, the full invasion of Russia against Ukraine, we call all the nations that remain firm and take … the side of the letter, the side of humanity and the side of the just and lasting peace, peace through force, “she said. President Donald Trump has often declared his commitment to bring “peace through force.”
The American envoy Shea, meanwhile, said multiple previous resolutions of the UN that condemn Russia and demand that the withdrawal of Russian troops “could not stop the war”, which “has now dragged for too long and too terrible a Cost for people in Ukraine and Russia and beyond. “
“What we need is a resolution that marks the commitment of all UN Member States to put a lasting end to war,” Shea said.
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Duel resolutions reflect the tensions that have emerged between the United States and Ukraine after Trump suddenly opened the negotiations with Russia in an attempt to quickly resolve the conflict. They also underline the tension in the transatlantic alliance about the extraordinary change of the Trump administration on the commitment to Moscow. The European leaders were dismayed that they and Ukraine were out of the preliminary conversations last week, and the assembly met when Trump was the host of French president Emmanuel Macron in Washington.
When the rhetoric grow, Trump called the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator”, falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war and warned that “it moves better quickly” to negotiate the end of the conflict or the risk of not having a nation to lead . Zelenskyy responded by saying that Trump lived in a “disinformation space” made in Russian.
The Trump administration not only refused to support the UN resolution of Ukraine, but at the last minute proposed its own competitive resolution.
The United States also wants to vote on its proposal in the most powerful UN Security Council, where resolutions are legally binding and has veto power along with Russia, China, Great Britain and France. China, who has the presidency of the Council this month, has scheduled it for Monday afternoon.
An American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the council had not yet assumed the resolution of the United States, said that the United States would sell any amendment of Russia or Europeans.
The General Assembly has become the most important UN agency in Ukraine because the 15 -members Security Council, accused of maintaining international peace and security, has been paralyzed by the power of Veto de Russia.
Since Russia's forces broke into the border on February 24, 2022, the General Assembly has approved half a dozen resolutions that have condemned the invasion and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Russian troops.
The brief original resolution of the United States recognizes “the tragic loss of lives in all the conflict of Russia-Ukraine” and implores “a rapid end of the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.” He never mentions Moscow's invasion.
The UN ambassador of France, Nicolas de Riviere, on behalf of more than 20 European countries, proposed the three amendments, which said “reflects the real situation in Ukraine, that of a war of aggression directed by Russia against its neighbor.”
The first replaces the “Russian-Ukraine conflict” with the “large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.” The second reaffirms the commitment of the Assembly to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The third requires a fair, lasting and integral peace in Ukraine that respects the UN letter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The UN ambassador of Russia, Vassily Nebenzia, told journalists last week that the original resolution of the United States was “a good movement.”
He proposed an amendment that would add the phrase “even addressing its root causes” so that the final line of the United States resolution reads: “implore a rapid ending for the conflict, even addressing its root causes, and further urges a peace Durable peace between Ukraine and Russia. “
The General Assembly also approved that amendment on Monday, but Russia did not support the amended resolution because it clearly points out in Moscow to begin the war.
Ukraine resolution refers to “the large -scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and recalls the need to implement all previous assembly resolutions “adopted in response to aggression against Ukraine.”
Lady the demand of the assembly that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally, withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”
It emphasizes that any participation of North Korea's troops fighting with Russia's forces “raises serious concerns regarding a greater escalation of this conflict.”
The resolution reaffirms the commitment of the Assembly with the sovereignty of Ukraine and also “that no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force will be recognized as legal.”
Ask for “a decalization, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine” and reiterates “the urgent need to end the war this year.”
–The diplomatic writer AP Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.