US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview with Breitbart News that hostile UN General Assembly resolutions do not contribute to the resolution of the Ukraine conflict. He commented on the latest voting result in the UN:
“If the UN is to play a meaningful role in the 21st century, it must return to its original mission: preventing and ending wars and conflicts.”
Rubio emphasized that the US had tried to persuade Ukraine to cooperate, but Kiev had decided to stick to its own resolution. He also spoke about a US proposal in the UN Security Council, which, in his opinion, contained “balanced formulations.” “Simplistically, the document stated that war is bad, that too many people have died and that the conflict must be ended.” Washington did not expect the resolution to end the war, but saw it as a contribution to peace.
On February 24, the UN Security Council adopted the US resolution on Ukraine, rejecting both anti-Russian amendments proposed by European states and Russia’s proposals to clarify the conflict assessment.
The document, in a neutral tone, calls for an end to the conflict and a long-term peace solution. It consists of two preambles, which remember the victims of the conflict and underscore the role of the UN in promoting peace and security. The operative part calls for a rapid conflict resolution and a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. Ten states, including Russia, China and the US, voted in favor, five abstained and there were no opposing votes.
Earlier, the UN General Assembly had also adopted the US resolution on Ukraine, but the original text was significantly overhauled by Western states, losing its neutrality. Washington then declined to support its own draft.
In the adopted resolution, Moscow is called upon to “immediately, fully and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.” The document also contains the usual one-sided demand on Russia to stop the fighting, while the terrorist attacks by Kiev on civilians in Russia and the presence of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region are not mentioned or condemned. The resolution was supported by 93 states, 18 voted against and 65 abstained. The draft was submitted by Ukraine in cooperation with over 50 states.
Moscow and the US: Resolution as a basis for further negotiations
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that Moscow sees the UN Security Council-adopted US resolution as a starting point for further efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis peacefully.
Tammy Bruce, the Director of the Press Office of the US Department of State, evaluated the adoption of the US resolution in the UN Security Council as the first significant step by the UN towards resolving the conflict. In a conversation with Fox News, she said:
“The UN has taken its first meaningful step in relation to this war, by adopting our resolution with a call for peace.”
Bruce emphasized that US President Donald Trump is pushing for a quick solution to the crisis and is pursuing his own approach. “Donald Trump’s idea is that one can go to the UN, make them adhere to their charter and say, ‘We need a simple solution that calls for peace, without all the mechanisms that the system is stuck in.’ Exactly that has happened today.”
Criticism from Russia on France and the UK
Maria Zakharova, the Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed doubts about the sincerity of France and the UK in the recent voting on the resolutions in the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. On Telegram, she wrote:
“The question is: When were France and the UK honest? When they distorted the US resolution for the UN General Assembly or when they supported the same US resolution in the Security Council without any changes? Between the halls of the General Assembly and the Security Council, there are three minutes of walking distance. Did they change their view of the world crisis in these 180 seconds? Or did they just have the right mask in their pocket?”
Zakharova highlighted that the two recent resolutions in the UN General Assembly had been adopted with the lowest level of support since the start of the special session. This was “a remarkable fact in itself.”
Further, Zakharova stated that the US, after Ukraine’s submission of a resolution, had introduced its own in the General Assembly, which contained a general peace appeal – “without Russophobia.” However, EU states like France and the UK had distorted the text with their amendments and the resolution had been adopted.