The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on dueling resolutions concerning Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the third anniversary of the conflict. Ukraine has put forward a proposal, backed by European nations, demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country. In contrast, the United States has introduced a resolution calling for a swift end to the war without explicitly mentioning Russia's aggression.
The U.S. pressured Ukraine to withdraw its nonbinding resolution in favor of the American proposal, but Ukraine refused, leading to both resolutions being put to a vote in the 193-nation assembly. This move reflects the tensions that have arisen between the U.S. and Ukraine following President Trump's negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict quickly.
President Trump's recent statements, including calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator and falsely accusing Kyiv of starting the war, have further strained relations. The U.S. declined to endorse Ukraine's resolution and instead proposed its own competing resolution, which has caused division within the transatlantic alliance.
The General Assembly, as opposed to the Security Council, has become the primary U.N. body addressing the Ukraine conflict due to Russia's veto power in the Security Council. The upcoming vote on the resolutions will gauge international opinion and assess support for Trump's negotiation efforts.
The U.S. resolution, which does not mention Russia's invasion, calls for a swift end to the conflict and urges lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. In contrast, Ukraine's resolution condemns Russia's invasion and demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.
The resolutions have sparked intense lobbying and arm-twisting among member states, with the outcome of the vote closely watched. The U.N. Security Council, under China's presidency this month, is also expected to vote on the U.S. resolution.
Since the invasion in 2022, the General Assembly has passed several resolutions condemning Russia's actions and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops. The upcoming vote will indicate the level of support for both resolutions and the prospects for ending the conflict in Ukraine.
