UN General Assembly members approved a resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity on Feb. 24, the day marking the third anniversary of Russia's massive invasion of the country. The resolution won 93 votes in favor, with 18 votes against, with 65 abstentions. Washington sided with Moscow, as well as Belarus, North Korea and Sudan, to vote against the measure. Hugary, Israel, Eritrea, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Nicaragua also voted against. China and Iran were among the abstentions. The US had declined to co-sponsor the resolution, instead pushing its own language that failed to blame Russia for the war or mention Ukraine's borders.

In the past, the US has been a co-sponsor to the Emergency Special Session 11 (ES-11) series of resolutions, including the ES-11/6, which marked two years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The UN General Assembly invoked the "Uniting for Peace" mechanism (Resolution 377A(V)) on Feb. 28, 2022, which allows the body to take action after Russia's veto power prevented the UN Security Council from acting. (Moscow Times, Kyiv Independent, Axios, Jurist)

Tensions between the US and Ukraine escalated on Feb. 19 when Trump on social media called President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator without elections" and accused him of starting the war with Russia three years ago. Zelensky retorted that Trump lives in a "web of disinformation." The insults came a day after senior US and Russian officials discussed ending the war during a meeting in Riyadh to which Ukraine was not invited. Zelensky said the meeting served only as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, effectively bringing him back from his diplomatic isolation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the meeting that peace would require concessions from both sides. Russian officials have not publicly offered any concessions but reportedly demanded that Ukraine commit to neutrality and not be allowed to join the NATO military alliance.

Also Feb. 20, Zelensky met in Kyiv with Trump's Ukraine and Russia envoy, Keith Kellogg, and said the meeting gave him hope. But a joint press conference afterwards was cancelled, at the request of the US. China has come out in support of Trump's negotiations with Russia, while European leaders have said they are considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. (TNH)