UN to vote to demand Russia pull troops out of Ukraine

UN General Assembly to vote on duelling resolutions regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting tensions between U.S., Ukraine, and Europe.

On the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly is expected to vote on Monday (February 24, 2025) on duelling resolutions — Ukraine's European-backed proposal demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country and a U.S. call for a swift end to the war that never mentions Moscow's aggression.

The United States pressured the Ukrainians to withdraw their nonbinding resolution in favour of its proposal, a U.S. official and a European diplomat said Sunday. But Ukraine refused, and it will be put to a vote in the 193-nation assembly, two European diplomats said. All spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

It's a reflection of the tensions that have emerged between the U.S. and Ukraine after President Donald Trump suddenly opened negotiations with Russia in a bid to quickly resolve the conflict. It also underscores the strain in the transatlantic alliance with Europe over the Trump administration's extraordinary turnaround on engagement with Moscow. European leaders were dismayed that they and Ukraine were left out of preliminary talks last week.

In escalating rhetoric, Mr. Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator," falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war and warned that he “better move fast” to negotiate an end to the conflict or risk not having a nation to lead.

Zelenskyy responded by saying Mr. Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space.” Since then, the Trump administration not only declined to endorse Ukraine's U.N. resolution, but at the last minute proposed its own competing resolution and pressed its allies to support that version instead. It comes as Mr. Trump plans to host French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday in Washington.

The U.S. also wanted a vote on its proposal in the more powerful UN Security Council. China, which holds the council presidency this month, has scheduled it for Monday afternoon.

The General Assembly has become the most important UN body on Ukraine because the 15-member Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has been paralyzed by Russia's veto power.