Secret US-Russia deal at UN sparks rift between Washington and European partners

The French edition of Le Monde reports on a serious split between Western allies. The reasons for this are the US attempt to promote its version of the resolution on the war in Ukraine at the UN, agreed with the Russian side.

According to Le Monde, February 24, 2025, became a landmark date that finally cemented the gap between the US and Europe. The partnership, which had lasted two decades, collapsed in connection with the events surrounding the war in Ukraine.

As the next anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine approached in 2025, the situation at the UN demonstrated a severe crisis in relations between the US and Europe. As Le Monde notes, American diplomats were holding secret negotiations with Russian representatives on an alternative version of the resolution, which neither Kyiv nor the European allies were aware of.

On February 21, US Chargé d’Affaires Dorothy Shea held a conversation with representatives from France and the United Kingdom at the UN. She reported on the preparation of the American draft document and requested that Ukraine withdraw its version of the resolution. European countries were taken aback because the American text did not clearly state a position on the principle of territorial integrity.

After that, the EU countries decided to coordinate urgently. It was agreed to support the Ukrainian project and oppose the American one in the Security Council and the General Assembly. France proposed amendments that changed the essence of the American document. As a result, the United States abstained from voting for its text.

As a reminder, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution initiated by Ukraine on establishing a just and stable peace. The United States, Israel, Russia, and Belarus spoke out against it.