The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S. resolution calling for a prompt end to the war and lasting peace in Ukraine, but not naming Russia as the aggressor or mentioning Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The resolution, titled ‘The Path to Peace’, emphasises the UN’s main tasks as maintaining international peace and security and resolving disputes peacefully.
It also acknowledges the victims of the conflict. Of the fifteen council members, ten voted in favour, including Russia, the United States, and China, while none voted against.
'No peace and security anywhere if aggression is rewarded'
The five European members — Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom — abstained. France and the UK, which hold veto powers, have not used their veto rights since 1989.
"There will be no peace and security anywhere if aggression is rewarded,” said French Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Rivière.
UK Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward stressed, for her part, that “there can be no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in how this Council refers to this war."
She proposed changes, including substituting “Russian-Ukrainian conflict” with “Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine” and replacing “lasting peace” with “just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.”
A historic agreement
Ambassador Woodward also suggested a new paragraph to ensure Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
However, the Acting U.S. Chargé d'Affaires at the UN, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, argued that the world stands on the brink of history and needs peace as soon as possible.
She sought to reassure her European colleagues, saying, "We listen to our European colleagues when they say that they want a lasting peace, but not at any price."
Ambassador Shea welcomed the outcome of the vote, urging all member States to join the U.S. in pushing for lasting peace.
“We are pleased that the Security Council has achieved just that by adopting this historic agreement, a milestone, the first in three years,” she remarked.
General Assembly resolution adopted by overwhelming majority
Earlier, the U.S. attempted to pass an identical draft resolution in the UN General Assembly, before opposing amendments made to it by EU member States, Ukraine, and the UK that identified Russia as the aggressor.
In the end, the resolution secured the necessary majority: the U.S. and China abstained, Russia and seven other countries voted against, but 93 countries voted in favour.
The UN Security Council consists of fifteen members. The permanent members with veto power are the U.S., China, Russia, the UK, and France.
A resolution is adopted if at least nine members vote in favour and no veto is used. The current non-permanent members are Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, and South Korea.
