On Monday February 24, the UN Security Council approved a U.S.-proposed resolution, reflecting Washington’s shift in stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The BBC’s Russian Service reports that the brief text does not condemn Russian aggression but merely calls for peace.
The resolution, titled The Path to Peace, reportedly consists of three paragraphs and was supported by eight Security Council members, including the U.S., Russia, and China. Five countries, including France and the United Kingdom, abstained.
The Deutsche Welle says this marks the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine that the UN Security Council has managed to pass a resolution on the issue.
Earlier the same day, the UN General Assembly adopted two separate resolutions, each differing in their assessment of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The first resolution was drafted by Ukraine and EU countries. It explicitly demanded that Russia immediately withdraw its troops from occupied Ukrainian territories and cease hostilities, aligning with previously adopted UN decisions. This resolution was supported by 93 countries, while 65 abstained, and 18—including Russia and the U.S.—voted against it.
The second resolution was proposed by the United States. It did not condemn Russia’s military aggression, referred to the war as a "conflict," and omitted mentions of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, violations of international law by Russia, and the need to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Following amendments initiated by European countries, the final version of the resolution included references to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the goal of achieving a "just peace." The document was supported by 93 countries, while 72—including the U.S. and Ukraine—abstained. Russia voted against it.
On February 24, the European Union approved its 16th package of sanctions against 48 individuals and 35 legal entities in Russia responsible for “undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.” Australia also introduced its largest package of anti-Russian sanctions since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
