https://arab.news/vch63
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges UN members to approve the 鈥榮imple, historic鈥� resolution
- Washington鈥檚 proposal comes amid an intensifying feud between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky
UNITED NATIONS, United States: The United States proposed Friday a United Nations resolution on the Ukraine conflict that omitted any mention of Kyiv鈥檚 territory occupied by Russia, diplomatic sources said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged UN members to approve the 鈥渟imple, historic鈥� resolution.
Washington鈥檚 proposal comes amid an intensifying feud between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky which has seen Trump claim it was 鈥渘ot important鈥� for his Ukrainian counterpart to be involved in peace talks.
It also appeared to rival a separate draft resolution produced by Kyiv and its European allies, countries that Trump has also sought to sideline from talks on the future of the three-year-old war.
The Ukrainian-European text stresses the need to redouble diplomatic efforts to end the war this year, noting several initiatives to that end, while also blaming Russia for the invasion and committing to Kyiv鈥檚 鈥渢erritorial integrity.鈥�
The text also repeats the UN General Assembly鈥檚 previous demands for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Those votes had wide support, with around 140 of the 193 member states voting in favor.
Washington鈥檚 text, seen by AFP, calls for a 鈥渟wift end to the conflict鈥� without mentioning Kyiv鈥檚 territorial integrity, and was welcomed by Moscow鈥檚 ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia as 鈥渁 good move鈥� 鈥� but stressed that it did not address the 鈥渞oots鈥� of the conflict.
鈥淭he United States has proposed a simple, historic resolution in the United Nations that we urge all member states to support in order to chart a path to peace,鈥� Rubio said in a statement Friday, without commenting in detail on the contents of the proposed resolution.
In a break with past resolutions proposed and supported by Washington, the latest draft, produced ahead of a General Assembly meeting Monday to coincide with the third anniversary of the war, does not criticize Moscow.
Instead the 65-word text begins by 鈥渕ourning the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict.鈥�
It then continued by 鈥渞eiterating鈥� that the United Nation鈥檚 purpose is the maintenance of 鈥渋nternational peace and security鈥� 鈥� without singling out Moscow as the source of the conflict.
France鈥檚 ambassador to the UN, Nicolas De Riviere, the EU鈥檚 only permanent member of the council, said he had no comment 鈥渇or the moment.鈥�
鈥淎 stripped-down text of this type that does not condemn Russian aggression or explicitly reference Ukraine鈥檚 territorial integrity looks like a betrayal of Kyiv and a jab at the EU, but also a show of disdain for core principles of international law,鈥� said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group.
鈥淚 think even a lot of states that favor an early end to the war will worry that the US is ignoring core elements of the UN Charter.鈥�