UN, two resolutions on the Russia-Ukraine war

2025-02-24 15:10:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A resolution drafted by the United States and another drafted by Ukraine and supported by the European Union, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, will be voted on Monday at the United Nations.

The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on the Ukraine resolution, followed by the US resolution. The UN Security Council is expected to vote later on Monday on the US resolution.

The United States calls for a "swift end to the conflict and further seeks a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

The US-drafted resolution makes no mention of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which began three years ago.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the resolution "showed that this conflict is terrible, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible."

“This is our opportunity to build a real path to peace,” Secretary Rubio said in a statement.

The Ukrainian resolution says that Russian aggression "has continued for three years and continues to have devastating and long-term consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for other regions and global stability."

Kiev calls for a "cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine" and stresses the need for the war to end this year.

Ukraine's draft resolution says that previous resolutions adopted by the General Assembly must be fully implemented, including those calling for Russia to fully withdraw from Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they demonstrate the moral support of the international community.

In the Security Council, a resolution needs the support of at least nine of the 15 members to pass, and none of the permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia or the United States - can use their veto power. The US resolution is expected to have sufficient support on Monday.

These UN votes will be held as French President Emmanuel Macron visits the United States for talks with President Donald Trump that are expected to include the war in Ukraine.

Mr Macron said last week that he would tell President Trump that the US leader "cannot be weak" in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Washington later this week for similar talks and like Mr Macron he has stressed the need for Ukraine's sovereignty to be at the heart of any peace efforts.

A group of leaders including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Kyiv on Monday in a show of support for Ukraine.

"We are in Kiev today because Ukraine is Europe," von der Leyen said on the social network X.

"In this fight for survival, it is not just the fate of Ukraine that is at stake. It is the fate of Europe," she emphasizes.

Fighting continued on Monday with Russia saying it shot down 23 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 16 over the Oryol region.

Ryazan region governor Pavel Malkov said that falling debris from a downed Ukrainian drone caused a fire at an industrial enterprise.

Ukraine's military said Monday it shot down 113 of the 185 drones Russia used in overnight attacks./ VOA