U.S. Declines to Co-Sponsor UN Resolution Backing Ukraine, Raising Diplomatic Concerns
The United States has declined to co-sponsor a draft United Nations resolution commemorating the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which reaffirms Ukraine’s territorial integrity and calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to three diplomatic sources who spoke to Reuters.
Additionally, Washington has raised objections to certain language in a statement that the Group of Seven (G7) nations was planning to release next week, which includes condemning Russian aggression—an indication of a potential shift by Ukraine’s strongest Western ally.
This refusal marks a departure from the language that has been regularly employed in UN resolutions and G7 statements since February 2022, highlighting an increasingly visible divide between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump, seeking to expedite an end to the conflict, dispatched a delegation to Saudi Arabia this week to engage in talks with Russia, bypassing Ukraine entirely.
While Ukraine’s allies have used previous February 24 anniversaries of the war to reaffirm their opposition to Russia’s invasion, the United States’ approach this year remains uncertain.
At the UN, co-sponsorship of a resolution can occur up until the vote, which is scheduled for Monday in the 193-member General Assembly. Though General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they hold significant political weight in representing global sentiment toward the war.
One source indicated that the U.S. had previously co-sponsored such resolutions in support of a just peace for Ukraine. According to another, while over 50 countries are backing the resolution, the U.S. has so far refrained from signing on. Efforts to garner support from other nations, including those in the Global South, are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the G7 is planning a call on Monday, but the U.S. has voiced objections to wording that specifically refers to “Russian aggression.” Last week’s G7 statement avoided this phrase but did refer to “Russia’s devastating war in Ukraine.”
This diplomatic disagreement poses a significant challenge for Ukraine, which has relied heavily on U.S. military and diplomatic assistance, amounting to tens of billions of dollars under the previous administration, to sustain its resistance against Russia.
The draft UN resolution, which Reuters has reviewed, calls for a de-escalation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution to the war in line with international law, reiterating the necessity of full implementation of previous UN resolutions. It demands that Russia immediately, fully, and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from Ukrainian territory within internationally recognized borders.
Russia has claimed control over around 20% of Ukraine and continues to make steady territorial gains in the eastern region. Moscow defends its “special military operation” as a necessary response to what it views as an existential threat from Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership.
In contrast, Ukraine and its Western allies characterize Russia’s actions as an imperialist land grab.
