First time: US steps back from anti-Russian UN Resolution

Shafaq News/ The United States has, for the first time since the Russia-Ukraine war, refrained from participating in the drafting of an anti-Russian UN resolution.

According to a document obtained by Russian media, the draft, titled “Promoting a Comprehensive, Just, and Lasting Peace in Ukraine,” was prepared by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Poland, and the Baltic states. It is set to be presented to the UN General Assembly on February 24.

The resolution calls for the “immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal” of Russian forces from Ukraine but omits any reference to the right of peoples to self-determination, a principle outlined in the UN Charter. It also accuses Russia of “targeting civilian infrastructure.”

Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying that draft has the support of more than 50 countries, though the full list was not disclosed. US officials have not commented on their absence from the drafting process.

The US decision to step back from the latest drafting effort follows recent diplomatic contacts between Russian and American officials in Riyadh.

Since February 2022, the General Assembly has adopted six resolutions condemning Russia and demanding its withdrawal. The United States had been a key co-sponsor of these initiatives alongside European allies under former President Joe Biden’s administration.