UN members backed a resolution supporting Ukraines territorial integrity Monday in the face of staunch opposition from Washington which pressed its own language that declined to blame Russia for the war or mention Kyivs borders.As United States President Donald Trump stakes out a new position on the Ukraine war, a European-backed text marking the conflicts third anniversary won 93 choose and 18 votes against, with 65 abstentions.Washington agreed Moscow, along with Russian allies Belarus, North Korea and Sudan, to vote against.The text which won far less assistance compared to previous resolution on the war highly criticizes Russia, and highlights Ukraines territorial stability and inviolability of its borders.Washington prepared a rival resolution in the middle of a heightening fight between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia had called the United States text an action in the right instructions amid a sudden thaw in between Russia and the United States under Trump.But Washingtons ally France advanced changes to the United States text telling the General Assembly that Paris, along with European nations and Britain, would not have the ability to support in its current kind.
The countries, all backers of Ukraine, pushed to reword the US text to state that the full-blown intrusion of Ukraine has actually been undertaken by Russia.Hungary, whose prime minister Viktor Orban is seen as the most pro-Putin leader in Europe, voted versus the amendments.The amendments likewise declared a commitment to Ukraines territorial integrity which had been left out from the US text.The United States proposition was so heavily changed that Washington eventually stayed away by itself text.The inviolability of Ukrainian territorial stability was a foundation of previous resolutions gone by the Assembly, with the United States under former president Joe Biden among its strongest advocates.
The effort to include this language detracts from what we are trying to attain with this forward-looking resolution, said Washingtons envoy to the UN Dorothy Shea ahead of the vote.Security Council in spotlightFollowing the General Assembly vote, Washington is anticipated to bring its text to a vote at the Security Council later on Monday, with a State Department official cautioning the United States would ban any changes by Russia or the Europeans.The mechanics of the UN mean that Washington could not ban the amendments brought at the General Assembly.To be adopted by the UNSC, a resolution requires the votes of a minimum of 9 of the 15 Security Council members while not being vetoed by any of the 5 long-term members the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.Even if the EU members of the council France, Slovenia, Denmark and Greece, along with Britain, were to stay away, the United States resolution could still pass.That would raise the question of whether France or Britain would be prepared to wield their very first vetoes in more than 30 years.Their particular leaders, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, are checking out the White House this week for key talks on Ukraine.
I do not see how Paris and London can support a text that is so far from their mentioned positions on Ukraine, but I also do not see how they can veto it, Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.For the Europeans, the completing votes will be a test of their standing in the multilateral system.
At the same time, Kyiv could be left progressively separated if it draws too little assistance, Gowan said.With core principles of global law at stake, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for a peace that totally promotes Ukraines territorial stability and respects the UN Charter.