Europeans win in UN clash with US

The United Nations on Monday rejected a US bid to tone down the General Assembly's stance on Russia's war in Ukraine as President Donald Trump seeks to broker peace, giving Kyiv and European allies a diplomatic victory at the world body.

The 193-member General Assembly voted on rival draft resolutions -- one from Washington and one written by Ukraine and European states -- to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

The United States was forced to abstain in the vote on its own resolution after European countries successfully amended Washington's draft to add language reflecting long-held UN support for Kyiv during the war, including Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

"This war has never been about Ukraine only. It is about a fundamental right of any country to exist, to choose its own path and to live free from aggression," Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Betsa Mariana told the assembly before the vote.

The amended US-drafted resolution won 93 votes in favour, while 73 states abstained and eight voted no. Russia failed in a bid to amend the US text to include a reference to the "root causes" of the conflict.

Ahead of the vote on the US text, acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea said the proposed European and Russian changes pursued "a war of words rather than an end to the war". She said the amendments detract "from what we are trying to achieve with this forward-looking resolution: A firm consensus from the members of this body to unite behind a resolution calling for the end to this conflict."

Security council to vote

The assembly also adopted the resolution drafted by Ukraine and European countries with 93 votes in favor, 65 abstentions and 18 no votes. Along with the United States, some other countries that voted no were Russia, North Korea and Israel.

"Today our American colleagues have seen for themselves that the road to peace in Ukraine will not be an easy one, and there will be many who will try to make sure that the peace doesn't come for as long as possible. But this shouldn't stop us," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the assembly.

The original US draft was three paragraphs – mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict", reiterating that the UN's main purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes, and urging a swift end to the conflict and a lasting peace. Reuters