US and Russia join forces to oppose Ukraine's conde

On February 24th local time, the 11th emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly voted on a draft resolution proposed by Ukraine condemning Russia's "aggression" and demanding the return of territory. In the end, the draft resolution was voted on with 93 votes in favor, 18 votes against, and 65 abstentions. Surprisingly, both the United States and Russia voted against it, which has attracted widespread attention from the international community. CNN reported that the United States' position has undergone an "astonishing shift".

It is reported that the resolution continues Ukraine's stance of the past few years, which includes a series of words condemning Russia while calling for a "just, lasting, and comprehensive peace". For a long time, the United States has always stood in the same camp with Ukraine on issues related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but this time it voted against with Russia, which undoubtedly broke the previous understanding of the outside world.

The dramatic shift in the US stance has complex reasons behind it. From the perspective of domestic politics in the United States, the Trump administration has adjusted its diplomatic strategy after taking office, attempting to reshape the United States' stance on the Russia Ukraine issue. The Trump administration believes that the past hard line policy towards Russia has not only failed to achieve the expected goals, but has instead made the Russia-Ukraine conflict protracted, and the US has continuously increased its investment in military assistance, which has put pressure on domestic finance. Moreover, the Trump team attempted to push Ukraine to make certain concessions on the conflict issue by reaching a mineral agreement with Ukraine, with economic interests as the entry point. Previously, the talks between the US delegation and Russia in Saudi Arabia (without inviting Ukraine to participate) were also seen as an important signal of the warming of US Russian relations. Both sides deliberately avoided using provocative language in public statements and instead adopted more neutral language.

On the Russian side, it has always opposed defining itself as an "aggressor" and naturally will not support resolutions strongly condemning Ukraine. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia once said in his speech at the conference that the road to peace in Ukraine will not be easy, and many people will try to delay the war, but it should not prevent all parties from seeking peace.

This move by the United States has caused a great uproar within the Western camp. European countries such as Britain, France, and Germany firmly support the Ukrainian version of the resolution, believing that the US draft is a "appeasement" of Russia. This divergence makes it difficult for the G7 to reach a consensus on condemning Russia. The UK even announced new sanctions against Russia to express dissatisfaction with the US stance. The Zelensky government of Ukraine is extremely dissatisfied with the actions of the United States and firmly refuses to withdraw the original draft resolution. Through diplomatic efforts, it has gained the support of 93 countries, ultimately leading to the resolution being passed at the United Nations.

The joint opposition of the United States and Russia to the resolution condemning Russia by Ukraine reflects the complexity and variability of the international political situation. In the future, the international community is waiting to see how the Russia-Ukraine conflict will develop and where the US EU relations will go.