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A United States resolution advocating for a “swift end” to the conflict in Ukraine was passed by the United Nations Security Council, securing the support of both Moscow and Beijing. This development further challenged Western unity during Donald Trump’s presidency. France and the UK chose not to veto the resolution, though it excluded any reference to Russia’s aggression or Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. Instead, they abstained after failing to delay the vote.
The vote exposed a growing divide in the transatlantic alliance, which has been a core component of European security since the Second World War, as the US administration adopts a more transactional foreign policy approach. This policy stance contrasts sharply with former President Joe Biden’s administration, which spearheaded a Western initiative to economically isolate Russia following its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine three years earlier.
Recent events have surprised European capitals, as President Trump engaged in bilateral discussions with Moscow. Furthermore, Trump attributed blame for the three-year conflict to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and suggested elections be conducted in Ukraine.
According to Shelby Magid, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, the abstention by France, the UK, and other European nations signifies that the US and its allies need to work on finding common ground. She noted that while the vote did not fully sever ties between Washington and Europe, its symbolism was evident. Magid remarked on the surprise of seeing the US aligning with countries typically viewed as aggressors.
Earlier in the week, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump at the White House, urging him to commit to military support for European troops that could act as peacekeepers in Ukraine if a ceasefire were to be established. When questioned about whether European forces would receive American support, Trump stated, “We will have a backing of some kind. Obviously, European countries are going to be involved. I don’t think you’re going to need much backing.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington this week to address tensions surrounding Ukraine and to discuss US efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
In a further indication of the quickened rapprochement between the US and Russia, Trump expressed his openness on Monday to establishing an “economic” deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting productive discussions held between the two nations regarding the termination of the war in Ukraine. Senior officials from both the US and Russia convened in Riyadh last week to discuss normalizing relations and potential resolutions to the Ukraine conflict, excluding Kyiv from the talks.
The approval of the US measure by the Security Council marked a significant change in the UN’s longstanding position on the war. Since 2022, the UN has recognized Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while noting Moscow’s aggression, and has called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. Despite efforts from France, the UK, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia to incorporate language reaffirming these principles, the final resolution did not include these elements. American officials emphasized their priority was to secure the resolution’s passage through the Security Council.
The US representative to the UN, Dorothy Shea, stated, “This resolution puts us on the path to peace. It is a first step, but a crucial one, one of which we should all be proud. Now we must use it to build a peaceful future for Ukraine, Russia, and the international community.”
France’s representative, Nicolas de Rivière, explained the abstention, asserting that peace and security cannot be achieved if acts of aggression are rewarded and if might becomes the primary determinant of power.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, observed the “constructive changes” in the US’s stance on Ukraine and described the resolution as merely the starting point for future efforts towards a peaceful resolution.
Earlier the same day, Ukraine and its European allies secured the passage of a resolution in the UN General Assembly that condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, with both the US and Russia voting against it.
The report included additional contributions from Leila Abboud in Paris and Max Seddon in Berlin.
