In UN duel with Europe, US wants Security Council vote first on Ukraine

The United States wants the UN Security Council to vote on a brief draft resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Monday before the 193-member General Assembly is due to meet on the conflict, diplomats said on Saturday.

The US move at the UN pits it against Ukraine and the European Union, which have for the past month been negotiating with UN member states on their own resolution on the war, which is due to be voted on by the General Assembly on Monday.

If the 15-member Security Council first adopts the draft US text on Monday morning it would allow the United States and Russia to argue that there is no need for the General Assembly to meet or vote on a resolution drafted by Ukraine and Europe.

The Security Council was already scheduled to meet on Ukraine on Monday afternoon. It is up to China, as president of the council for February, to reschedule the meeting as requested by Washington. A decision has not yet been made, diplomats said.

A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France to be adopted.

The US is lobbying hard to win backing for its draft, diplomats said, while European states are also still pushing for support for their effort in the General Assembly. The US text does not mention Ukraine's sovereignty or territorial integrity.

"Through support of this resolution, we affirm that this conflict is awful, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace. We urge all UN member states to join the United States."

DEADLOCKED SECURITY COUNCIL

On Thursday, Reuters reported that the US had declined to co-sponsor the text drafted by Ukraine and the EU. Then on Friday, Washington proposed its own resolution for a General Assembly vote on Monday as well. Late on Friday, the US also gave the same draft resolution to the Security Council.

The US push for UN action comes after President Donald Trump launched a bid to broker an end to the war, sparking a rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and raising concerns among European allies that they could be cut out of peace talks. US and Russian officials met on Tuesday.

The General Assembly is being convened on Monday as a so-called "emergency special session". Such meetings are held when the Security Council "fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression".

Due to Russia's veto power, the Security Council has been deadlocked throughout the conflict. The General Assembly adopted six resolutions on the conflict in its first year, denouncing Moscow and demanding Russia withdraw all its troops.

But if the council adopts the US draft resolution on Monday morning then the United States and Russia can argue that there is no need for the assembly to convene or take action.

The US text mourns the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and reiterates "that the principal purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security and to peacefully settle disputes".

It also "implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia".

'ROOT CAUSES'

Russia has proposed an amendment to that line - to be voted on by the General Assembly - so it reads "implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia".

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the US draft as a "good move".

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Saturday appeared to criticize Russia's bid to amend the US draft.

"The root causes of this war are (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's denial of Ukraine's right to exist and his wish to destroy our nation," he posted on X. "This is why Russia started this war, commits atrocities, and tries to change borders by force."

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a "special military operation" designed to "denazify" its neighbour and halt dangerous NATO expansion to the east.

The UN text drafted by Ukraine and the EU "reiterates the urgent need to end the war this year, and to redouble diplomatic efforts to reduce the risks of further escalation and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine".

It asserts the need for the implementation of previous UN resolutions that demanded Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine's internationally recognized territory, and insisted that Moscow halt hostilities.

General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. No country holds a veto in the assembly.