The US administration discussed its draft UN resolution with Russia on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Source : French newspaper Le Monde, citing diplomatic sources, as reported by European Pravda

Details : Ukraine prepared a resolution condemning the Russian aggression and demanding the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. However, due to concerns about declining support for Kyiv amid the war in Gaza, European countries called on Kyiv to soften the wording in order to ensure broad support in the UN General Assembly.

However, on 21 February, in an unexpected move, Dorothy Shea, US Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, informed the ambassadors of France and the UK that Washington was asking Ukraine to withdraw its resolution, as the US planned to submit its own and was seeking European support.

It later transpired that the US draft resolution had been discussed in advance with Moscow, without the knowledge of Washington’s allies.

Subsequently, an emergency meeting of European representatives was held, during which a sense of betrayal by the US was reportedly felt. It was decided to leave the Ukrainian text unchanged and to entrust France and the United Kingdom, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, with leading the diplomatic effort.

London took on the confrontation with the US in the Security Council, while Paris fought for the resolution in the General Assembly. The French successfully amended the American draft, in particular the requirement to respect territorial integrity.

As a result, the Ukrainian resolution was adopted without changes during the vote on 24 February, despite opposition from the US and Russia.

The American draft, by contrast, was altered to such an extent that the US ultimately abstained from voting on its own text.

Background :

• On 24 February 2025, the UN approved a Ukrainian resolution condemning the Russian aggression, with the US voting against it.
• At the time, media reports indicated that the US was pressuring other countries not to support the Ukrainian draft resolution and to vote for the American one.

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