U.S. clashes with Ukraine and Europe over UN war Resolution

As the war of words between the Trump and Zelensky administrations has escalated, so too has a diplomatic conflict at the United Nations, leading to a crisis that could result in a deadlock.

The U.S. is actively opposing a draft resolution prepared by Ukraine, which was set to be introduced at both the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. The resolution—supported by European nations—was intended to commemorate three years since Russia’s invasion and explicitly condemn Moscow.

The Ukrainian text squarely blames Russia for starting the war and calls for its swift end. However, according to a Wall Street Journal report, U.S. diplomats informed European counterparts that Washington would oppose the Ukrainian resolution if it moved forward, urging them to persuade Kyiv to withdraw its proposal.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha lashed out at any effort to soften the resolution’s language in a post on X (formerly Twitter):

"The root causes of this war are Putin's denial of Ukraine's right to exist and his wish to destroy our nation," Sybiha wrote. "This is why Russia started this war, commits atrocities, and tries to change borders by force."

The key Ukrainian complaint is that the U.S. draft omits any mention of Russia as the aggressor, signaling a sharp departure from previous American positions.

The U.S. resolution states:

"Mourning the loss of life during the 'Russia-Ukraine conflict' and reiterating that the principal purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security and to peacefully settle disputes."

It further "implores a swift end to the conflict and urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."

Russia, however, wants to amend the wording to include:

"Implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."

For Russia, those "root causes" include NATO expansion and Western militarization of Ukraine, as well as Kyiv’s actions against pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region.

According to the Wall Street Journal, this realignment of U.S. policy has created one of the biggest transatlantic diplomatic rifts in years, pitting the U.S. and Russia against Ukraine and Europe in an increasingly contentious standoff.

Despite intense pressure from European allies, the U.S. is standing firm:

On Friday, U.S. officials asked Ukraine to withdraw its resolution. Ukraine refused. Britain and France urged Washington to modify its own text to reflect Russian responsibility. The U.S. rejected the request.

This marks a dramatic shift in U.S. diplomacy and signals that the Trump administration has no intention of returning to the hardline stance against Russia that defined the Biden years.

The dispute has also spilled into social media, with Elon Musk—a longtime advocate for peace talks between the U.S. and Russia—weighing in. Responding to a post highlighting the U.S.-Ukraine rift, Musk simply wrote: "Exactly."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement justifying the Trump administration’s position, emphasizing that the focus should be on ending the war, not assigning blame:

"President Trump is committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and to a resolution that leads to a lasting peace, not just a temporary pause. This Monday, February 24, will mark three years of the Russia-Ukraine war. This war has now dragged on for far too long, and at far too terrible a cost to Ukraine and Russia."

Rubio’s statement calls on all UN member states to support the U.S. resolution, arguing that it is in line with the UN’s founding principles of international peace and security.

"We strongly believe that this is the moment to commit to ending the war. This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace. We urge all UN member states to join the United States in this solemn pursuit," Rubio declared.