ARCHIVE – A meeting is held in the UN Security Council (archive photo). Photo: Kena Betancur/AP/dpa
Keystone
Just before the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a pro-Moscow move by the US government is causing diplomatic turbulence at the United Nations. A US draft resolution on the war in Ukraine, which does not name Russia as the aggressor, is now to be submitted to the UN Security Council on Monday, before it is put to a vote before 193 member states in the UN General Assembly a few hours later. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intends to take stock of the war at a major press conference today.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, starting a momentous war of aggression against the neighboring country, which has been extensively destroyed and has suffered countless deaths. The USA was previously Ukraine’s most important supporter and supplier of weapons. However, under President Donald Trump, the superpower is seeking a settlement with Russia and a swift end to the fighting.
Trump’s rapprochement with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has caused great uncertainty in Ukraine and among Western countries. The Republican recently referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” due to the elections being canceled as a result of the war and even blamed him for the war in some statements.
US draft resolution does not call for Russian withdrawal
Whether there will be a vote on the US draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council initially remained open. Negotiations on possible amendments are still ongoing. The current chairing country, China, would have to schedule the vote. The corresponding meeting is scheduled for 9.00 a.m. local time on Monday (3.00 p.m. CET).
The paper entitled “The Road to Peace” does not name Moscow as the aggressor in the war and does not call for a Russian withdrawal; it simply calls for a swift end to the war. Ukraine and the EU, on the other hand, are sticking to their own proposed resolution, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Diplomats see the US approach as a diplomatic rapprochement with Kremlin boss Putin and a plan to force an agreement by increasing pressure on Kiev. It is unclear whether the draft would find a majority of 9 of the 15 member states in the Security Council. Like China, Russia and the USA, the UK and France have a right of veto, but have not used it since 1989.
Under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, the USA had largely isolated Russia at the UN, where the Kremlin’s actions were condemned in historically clear votes. Now the strikingly neutral US text could find a majority – possibly in parallel with the adoption of the Ukrainian draft.
Trump hopes that a raw materials agreement will be concluded soon
Washington also expects Kiev to sign a contract worth the equivalent of several hundred billion euros, which is intended to compensate for previous US aid by providing access to Ukrainian raw materials such as rare earths and infrastructure such as ports. The Ukrainian leadership has so far refused to sign the agreement, citing a lack of US security guarantees.
According to Trump, the two countries could soon conclude the raw materials agreement. “I think we’re close to an agreement, and it’s better that way, because the situation is terrible,” Trump said at the right-wing conservative CPAC conference near the US capital Washington. “I want them to give us something for all the money we’ve invested.”
Trump said he would try to “end the war and put an end to the death”. At the same time, however, the USA wanted “rare earths and oil, everything we can get” from Ukraine.
The exploitation of rare earths is economically lucrative and strategically important. According to reports, the USA demands 50 percent of the income from the mining of these raw materials in Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasizes the relevance of security guarantees
Meanwhile, Zelensky emphasized the relevance of genuine security guarantees for his country and the whole world. “Europe, America and all our global partners need a common understanding of how to ensure that Putin can never deceive the world again and that Russia can no longer bring death to other nations,” he said in a video message distributed via the X platform. This applies to Ukraine just as much as it does to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
At the CPAC conference near Washington, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for support for Ukraine, “where a proud people is fighting for its freedom against brutal aggression”. They must continue to work together to create a “just and lasting peace”. This could only be achieved with the help of all. Above all, strong leadership is needed – and that is what Trump stands for.