At 3-Year Mark of Russian Federation’s Invasion, General Assembly Upholds Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity, Adopting Two Resolutions
Member States Concur on Need to End War, But Differ on Best Path to Achieve It
(Note: A complete summary of today's General Assembly meetings will be made available after their conclusion.)
Three years after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly today adopted two resolutions reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the United Nations Charter. While Member States broadly agreed on the urgent need to end the war, they differed on the best path to achieving peace.
“We cannot afford another year of this unjust war,” said Francisco José Da Cruz (Angola), Vice-President of the General Assembly as he opened the eleventh Emergency Special Session on Ukraine, noting that the Assembly has been clear in its stance, adopting six resolutions demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine territory. “Russian aggression against Ukraine is a grave violation of the United Nations Charter,” he added. While the Security Council has been deadlocked, “let us prove — through action, not words — that a comprehensive and lasting peace is within our reach”, he stressed.
The Assembly can convene an Emergency Special Session when the Security Council “fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression”. Today’s meeting takes place as the United States, under President Donald J. Trump, launches peace talks with the Russian Federation without the participation of Ukraine or Europe.
Member States had before them two competing draft resolutions — L.10, submitted by Ukraine and European countries, titled “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, and L.11, proposed by the United States, titled “The path to peace”.
Shift of United States Stance
The General Assembly adopted draft resolution “L.10” by a recorded vote of 93 in favour to 18 against, with 65 abstentions. The United States voted against it in an apparent shift of its position. It supported a similar resolution submitted in February 2023 (document A/RES/ES-11/6), which received 141 votes in favour. (See Press Release GA/12492 of 23 February 2023.)
By “L.10”, the Assembly — reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders — recalled the need for full implementation of its relevant resolutions adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine, in particular its demand that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.
Introducing “L.10”, Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said: “This is a moment of truth — a historic moment.” The way States respond to the Russian Federation’s aggression today will define not only the future of Ukraine or Europe, but “our common future”, she said. “This has never been about Ukraine,” she continued, noting that Moscow wants to replace the world based on international law by that based on the rule of force. Today, Ukraine fights for a “world of nations that are not divided into predators and prey”, where no grey zones exist, she added. Stressing that the General Assembly’s response must include substantive elements, she said that this is a rational behind the draft. “We need clear guidance,” not just a ceasefire, she emphasized, noting that by adopting the draft, the Assembly will address the global impact of war.
European Pushback against United States Text
The United States’ introduction of a rival text, “L.11”, which called on the Assembly to “implore a swift end to the conflict and further urge a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation” encountered resistance due to its omission of any reference to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the victim’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Recalling that the Assembly adopted multiple resolutions that have demanded that the Russian Federation withdraw its forces from Ukraine, the representative of the United States said: “Those resolutions have failed to stop the war. […] What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all UN Member States to bring a durable end to the war.” The draft resolution submitted by her country focused on one simple idea — ending the war. She said her country cannot support Ukraine’s resolution, urging its withdrawal “in favor of a strong statement, committing us to end the war”.
France, on behalf of European States, proposed amendments to it, “L.13”, “L.14”, and “L.15”, which added references to Moscow’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the need for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in line with the Charter of the United Nations”. France’s representative stressed that “it is a vote for international law”, and that a conflict resolution without Ukraine and Europe would establish “a primacy of force over law”.
For its part, the Russian Federation sought to insert a reference to “root causes” of the conflict by tabling an amendment, “L.12”. Its representative noted that that the world has found itself on the brink of a third World War due to “the anti-Russian project called Ukraine”. Stressing that the “Zelenskyy formula” and the "Bürgenstock process" are not viable, he noted “everyone who is going to press the button today” can choose a text divorced from reality or one offering practical steps to peace. The United States’ text is a step in the right direction, he added.
While rejecting Moscow’s proposal, the Assembly adopted European-led amendments. These changes aligned the initial United States draft with the key elements highlighted in the Ukraine-drafted resolution. As amended, the Assembly adopted “L.11” by a recorded vote of 93 in favour to 8 against (Belarus, Burkina Faso, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Russian Federation, Sudan), with 73 abstentions. The United States abstained on the amended “L.11”.
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