The United States is seeking a vote in the UN Security Council on Monday on a draft resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aiming to hold the vote before the 193-member General Assembly convenes on the conflict, diplomats said on Saturday.
This move sets the US against Ukraine and the European Union, which have been working for a month on their own resolution, scheduled for a General Assembly vote on Monday. If the 15-member Security Council adopts the US draft first, the US and Russia could argue that a General Assembly vote on the Ukraine-EU resolution is unnecessary.
The Security Council was already set to meet Monday afternoon to discuss Ukraine. Washington has requested that China, which holds the council presidency for February, move the meeting earlier. Diplomats noted that no decision has been made yet. For the US draft to pass, it requires at least nine votes without vetoes from the US, Russia, China, Britain, or France.
The US is actively lobbying for support for its resolution, while European nations continue to push for backing for their General Assembly proposal. Notably, the US draft omits any reference to Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
“By supporting this resolution, we recognize the tragedy of this conflict, the UN’s role in ending it, and the possibility of peace,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This is our chance to build real momentum toward peace, and we call on all UN member states to join us.”
US and Europe Clash Over Approach
As Reuters reported on Thursday, the US declined to co-sponsor the Ukraine-EU resolution. On Friday, Washington introduced its own draft for the General Assembly and submitted the same text to the Security Council later that day.
The US initiative follows President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to mediate an end to the war, which has created tension with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and raised concerns among European allies about being sidelined in peace talks. US and Russian officials also met earlier this week.
Monday’s General Assembly session will be held as an “emergency special session,” a format used when the Security Council fails to act in cases involving threats to peace, aggression, or breaches of the peace.
Throughout the conflict, the Security Council has been deadlocked due to Russia’s veto power. In contrast, the General Assembly passed six resolutions in the first year of the war, condemning Russia and calling for a full troop withdrawal.
Should the Security Council adopt the US draft on Monday morning, the US and Russia could argue that the General Assembly vote is redundant.
The US text acknowledges the loss of life in the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” and emphasizes the UN’s primary role in maintaining peace and resolving disputes. It calls for a “swift end to the conflict” and urges a “lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
Russia and Ukraine Clash Over “Root Causes”
Russia has proposed an amendment to the US draft, urging the General Assembly to vote on language that would call for an end to the conflict “including by addressing its root causes.”
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the US draft a “good move.”
Ukraine, however, criticized the Russian amendment. “The root causes of this war are [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s denial of Ukraine’s right to exist and his desire to destroy our nation,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “This is why Russia started this war, commits atrocities, and seeks to change borders by force.”
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a “special military operation” aimed at “denazifying” Ukraine and stopping NATO’s eastward expansion.
The Ukraine-EU resolution calls for an urgent end to the war in 2024 and highlights the need for diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation and achieve a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
It also stresses the importance of implementing past UN resolutions that demand Russia withdraw from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory and end hostilities.
General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry political significance, representing global opinion on the conflict. Unlike the Security Council, no country holds veto power in the General Assembly.
