Trump Breaks With Allies Over Blaming Russia for War in Ukraine

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump deepened Washington’s split with allies over Ukraine, withdrawing the US’s condemnation of Russia’s 2022 invasion at the United Nations and among Group of Seven nations. 

In New York on Monday, the US and Russia both voted against a European-backed resolution in the UN General Assembly that calls out Moscow’s “full-scale invasion” three years ago to the day, and instead proposed a short alternative that calls for a “swift end” to the conflict, a stark reversal from US policy under President Joe Biden.

That comes as the G-7 also struggled to issue a joint statement on the anniversary of the war, after the US opposed language condemning Moscow that echoed previous language from the group, according to people familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, Trump on Monday said on social media that he’s in “serious discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war. He also said at the White House that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy may travel to Washington as soon as this week to sign a deal over natural resources, which Trump has signaled is necessary to end the war and repay the US for its support. 

The public debate at the UN and private deliberations among the G-7 highlight the clear break of US policy toward the worst conflict in Europe since World War II, with the US further distancing itself from its allies on the continent and, to their alarm, appearing to align closer with Moscow. The Trump administration has been more agreeable to policies pursued by Putin, including barring Ukraine from NATO membership and retaining territory captured during the war.

“I would rather not explain it now but it’s sort of self-evident,” Trump said at the White House when asked to explain the rationale behind the US vote on the UN resolutions. He added that he wanted to discuss a separate resource deal with Russia as well, and signaled support for European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of an agreement to the end war.

The European-backed resolution at the General Assembly passed with 93 votes for and 18 against, with 65 abstentions. Belarus and North Korea were among those who voted against it along with the US and Russia. The separate US resolution was also adopted but only after it was amended to blame Russia for the war, which led the US to abstain from voting for its own measure. 

In a speech before the General Assembly ahead of the vote, acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothea Shea argued that if the amendments were adopted, the US would consider that the resolution would “no longer be able to achieve the consensus of this body on the most solemn pursuit, the pursuit of peace.”

Washington plans next to propose a similar resolution at a UN Security Council meeting later Monday. The key difference there will be that US and Russia can veto any amendments aimed at condemning Moscow. 

The Trump administration had lobbied countries at the UN to block the Ukrainian-backed resolution that condemned Russia for its war of aggression and wanted them to back instead a US text that it says will chart a path to peace, Bloomberg previously reported.

The original US version didn’t condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine nor did it uphold principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity that were part of previous UN resolutions backed by allies. It mourns “the tragic loss of life” and “implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace.”

The France-proposed change to the resolution addressed the war as the “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” instead of the original “Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” language proposed by the US.

At the G-7, diplomats had been trying since last week to find a compromise for a joint statement, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Washington also disagreed with threatening more energy sanctions to compel Moscow to negotiate a lasting peace. The US threatened to pull support for a statement altogether, said the people. The leaders held a call on the issue Monday. 

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