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A Step in the Path to Peace at the Security Council
U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision and determination to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war were recently bolstered at the UN Security Council.
On February 24, the Security Council adopted a focused, four-line resolution crafted by the United States that mourned the loss of life in the Russia-Ukraine war; reiterated that the “principle purpose” of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and peacefully settle disputes; and implored “a swift end” to the conflict, while further urging a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The resolution, entitled “The Path to Peace,” was adopted with 10 votes in favor, including Russia and China, with Britain and the four European members of the Council abstaining.
Notably absent from the U.S. drafted Security Council resolution was any mention of the cause of the conflict.
Earlier in the day in the UN General Assembly, two resolutions were passed that criticized Russian aggression and expressed support for Ukraine.
Speaking before the votes in the UN General Assembly, U.S. Chargé d ’Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea urged Member States to look forward and focus on one simple idea: ending the war.
“Multiple resolutions of the General Assembly have demanded that Russia withdraw its forces from Ukraine. Those resolutions have failed to stop the war,” noted Ambassador Shea.
In remarks later to the Security Council, she said, “It is time for us to bring the UN, and specifically the Security Council, back to its original purpose, the maintenance of international peace and security.”
“Continuing to engage in rhetorical rivalries in New York may make diplomats feel vindicated, but it will not save souls on the battlefield,” she said.
“Generations of Ukrainians and Russians have died. Husbands who will never return home to their wives. Children will never find the arms of their mothers. Parents, who will never again see their sons and daughters. The scale of the suffering is staggering.”
After the Security Council passed the focused resolution, Ambassador Shea noted it is “the first [action] this Council has taken in three years on Ukraine to firmly call for an end to the conflict.
“This resolution puts us on the path to peace,” she declared. “It is a first step, but a crucial one ... Now we must use it to build a peaceful future for Ukraine, Russia, and the international community.”