The United Nations Security Council has approved a “neutral” resolution on Ukraine, introduced by the United States, in a vote held on February 24, the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The resolution passed with 10 votes in favor, while the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia abstained. None of the 15 Security Council members opposed it.
The U.S. presented the same text earlier at the U.N. General Assembly. There, European nations proposed amendments condemning Russian aggression. At the Security Council, however, all five proposed amendments failed — either because they did not secure enough support or were vetoed by Russia.
The U.S. representative at the Security Council described the resolution as “a symbolic, simple first step towards peace.” The British representative, explaining her abstention, said there could be “no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in how this Council refers to this war.” She added that it was Moscow that chose to start this war and that the Security Council “must be clear on this.”
Russia’s representative called the resolution “a common-sense initiative” and said it reflected the Trump administration’s desire to “really contribute” to peace. He claimed that “the only player internationally which wants the war to continue” was “the militarizing Europe.” At the conclusion of the session, the Security Council called for “a swift end to the conflict and urged a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”
Earlier, the U.N. General Assembly voted on two resolutions concerning Ukraine — one introduced by Ukraine with European Union support and another proposed by the United States. The U.S. resolution did not explicitly condemn Russia or label it as the aggressor.
After discussions with European countries, three amendments were adopted: replacing the term “conflict” with “full-scale invasion,” reaffirming the U.N.’s commitment to Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity,” and expanding the wording on “lasting peace” between Russia and Ukraine. The General Assembly ultimately adopted both resolutions.
