logo
The data that reveal growing strains in the special relationship

The data that reveal growing strains in the special relationship

Yahoo04-03-2025

Britain, the US and Russia have participated in 2,681 votes together at the United Nations Security Council since 1946.
In that time, the US has sided with Russia over the UK on just 22 occasions.
The most recent instance came last Monday, when the UK and Europe abstained from a US-drafted resolution calling for an end to the Ukraine conflict that omitted any criticism of Russia's actions.
The short resolution was adopted, much to the dismay of Ukraine and its European allies.
Before the vote that was held, on the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin's invasion, other than a disagreement over humanitarian relief to Gaza in 2023, you would have to go back to 1980 to find another example.
The Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the UN, with a mandate to promote international peace through negotiation, the imposition of sanctions or, if necessary, the authorisation of force.
A revolving roster of 10 nations joins the table for two-year terms, but five members have been permanent since its creation in the wake of the Second World War – the US, UK, France, China and Russia (formerly the USSR).
According to UN Digital Library records of all resolutions voted upon over the past 70 years, the UK and France are the closest permanent members, voting the same way 98.2 per cent of the time.
The US, for its part, was most aligned with the UK (97.1 per cent) and understandably, given their history, found least common cause with Russia (87.8 per cent).
But the current turmoil is bucking these long-term trends and suggests the two nations are drifting apart in their special relationship'.
The US and UK have only split votes 77 times, meaning entire years have often gone by with the pair 100 per cent like-minded.
Over the past 12 months, however, this rate fell to 94.4 – its lowest level since 1997.
In December, the US abstained in a vote on the establishment of an African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, citing dissatisfaction with its funding model. Last March, it did the same during a call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan.
More broadly, the breakdown of the transatlantic alliance echoes growing disunity within the wider Security Council and the UN as a whole. The majority of resolutions put forward, despite being put to a vote, are to give assent to agreements already made. The most common form of dissent, therefore, is to abstain.
The share of abstentions among all votes cast has risen steeply over the past decade, from 0.06 per cent in 2010 to beyond eight per cent last year.
Only the five permanent members have recourse to a more drastic measure – their negative vote counting as a veto.
According to Security Council Report, vetos empower them to 'defend their national interests, to uphold a tenet of their foreign policy or, in some cases, to promote a single issue of particular importance to a state'.
There were eight vetos last year, the highest annual total since 1989 and the eighth-highest in 79 years overall.
Three distinct phases emerge when looking at which country did the vetoing: the USSR was primarily responsible over the opening decades of the Cold War, the US then took the lead until 2008, from which point on Moscow began throwing up the most barriers once more.
The USSR and Russia have been behind almost half (47.1 per cent) of all no-votes cast, a share that creeps up to 57.9 per cent over the past three years, coinciding with the three-year long Ukraine war.
Speaking at an event after last Monday's event, Yevheniia Filipenko, Ukraine's ambassador, asked countries to continue their support for rebuilding Ukraine and seeking accountability for crimes committed since Russia's invasion.
'The road ahead is very challenging but when we are united we can prevail,' she said.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China Extends Probe Into EU Pork Imports
China Extends Probe Into EU Pork Imports

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

China Extends Probe Into EU Pork Imports

China said Tuesday that it would extend a yearlong probe into pork imports from the European Union, as Beijing seeks to bolster ties with the 27-member bloc amid heightened trade tensions with the U.S. The Chinese Commerce Ministry decided to extend its antidumping investigation into EU pork products by six months to Dec. 16, citing the complexity of the case, according to an official notice. Think Twice Before You Click 'Unsubscribe' The Canned-Food Aisle Is Getting Squeezed by Rising Steel Tariffs The Best New Features Coming to Your iPhone, iPad and Mac (and What's Missing) FTC Seeks Information From Top Advertising Agencies as Part of Ad-Boycott Probe Judge Tosses Justin Baldoni's Lawsuits Against Blake Lively and New York Times The probe was launched last June in response to the EU's decision to slap antisubsidy levies on Chinese electric vehicles and was originally set to conclude later this month. Most of the EU's pork exports go to East Asia, in particular China, with Germany, Spain and France among the biggest producers, according to the European Commission. Tuesday's announcement is viewed as another goodwill gesture by Beijing, as Chinese leaders launch a global charm offensive to improve relations with major economic partners amid a trading fight with Washington. Back in April, Beijing extended a similar probe into brandy imports from the EU by three months to July and expanded Spanish pork exporters' access to the Chinese market through bilateral trade agreements. Earlier this month, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao talked with EU trade officials over a range of issues including Chinese EVs and export controls during a trip to France. In a statement after Wang's trip, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said negotiations with the EU on setting minimum prices for Chinese-made EVs have entered its final stages. Wang also said in his meetings with European counterparts that China will accelerate approvals of qualified rare-earth exports to Europe, adding that he hopes the EU can bolster exports of high-tech products to the country, according to the ministry. In retaliation against President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, China slapped new export controls on seven types of rare-earth minerals that are needed for a range of products including electronics, cars and advanced defense equipment. Such restrictions from the world's dominant rare-earth supplier have become a headache for global businesses, especially American and European automakers, many of which have warned of significant disruption in the global supply chain. Tuesday's extension also came as senior officials from China and the U.S. are meeting in London for their second round of talks with export controls taking the center stage. Write to Singapore Editors at singaporeeditors@ Alexander Brothers File $500 Million Defamation Suit Against The Real Deal Warner Discovery Splits Cable From Marquee Streaming, Studio Businesses Apple Unveils Array of New Software, but AI Comeback Remains Far Off Disney to Pay NBCUniversal Another $438.7 Million for Hulu Stake Businesses Are Bingeing on Crypto, Dialing Up the Market's Risks Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati

Putin ramps up drone-making to unleash attacks on Ukrainian cities
Putin ramps up drone-making to unleash attacks on Ukrainian cities

Miami Herald

time30 minutes ago

  • Miami Herald

Putin ramps up drone-making to unleash attacks on Ukrainian cities

Russia is stepping up drone production to increase massive daily attacks on Ukrainian cities as Moscow pressures Kyiv to concede to peace terms. The Kremlin unleashed deadly destruction in the capital Kyiv and the Black Sea city of Odesa overnight, firing 315 drones and seven missiles, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That followed a barrage of a record 479 drones the previous night, which itself surpassed the high set on June 1. Moscow has escalated drone attacks this year with the scale of the strikes surging from a daily record of 267 UAVs in February. After initially losing ground to Ukraine in the development of drones, Russia has steadily ramped up mass production of Iranian-designed Shahed UAVs and other types of unmanned aircraft, giving the Kremlin a ready weapon to step up pressure on Kyiv to accept its war demands. In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered defense producers to accelerate drone output from the 1.5 million units produced last year. 'These weapons are still in short supply,' he said at the time. In January, he called for Russia to 'emerge as one of the global technological leaders' in drone production by 2030, in light of what he said was 'the huge importance of this industry' for the country. Moscow's aim is to use a 'punishment strategy' with inexpensive Shahed drones to force Kyiv into submission, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a recent report. Although Ukraine manages to jam or shoot down most of them, the weapons 'saturate Ukrainian air defenses and erode civilian morale through persistent nightly attacks,' it said. Ukraine estimates Russia is preparing to produce between 300 to 350 long-range drones a day and wants to raise output to 500 a day, Zelenskyy said on May 27. Russian drone manufacturers succeeded in boosting production of long-range craft to more than 30,000 this year from 15,000 in 2024, while also producing as many as 2 million small tactical drones used against tanks and artillery, Politico reported June 5, citing Oleh Aleksandrov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service. Ukraine's defense intelligence directorate estimates that half of the long-range drones produced each month are decoys, according to Forbes Ukraine. Kyiv has also accused Russia of using electronics largely sourced from China in violation of sanctions. Beijing has previously said it's not providing weapons to either side in the war. 'Drones turned out to be a low-cost alternative to precision weaponry,' said Denis Fedutinov, a Moscow-based expert on UAVs. 'This realization didn't come immediately. However, once it became clear that drones deliver tangible results, it provided the impetus to accelerate the integration of unmanned systems of various classes into military operations.' Growth across all categories of Russia's drone output has been exponential, compared to the figures before 2022, Fedutinov said. 'In some areas, such as loitering munitions and FPV drones, we're talking about increases by several orders of magnitude,' he said, referencing first-person view drones controlled by an operator via video feed. At talks in Istanbul last week, Russia laid out terms for a ceasefire that amounted to capitulation, including Kyiv handing over control of territory it still holds in four occupied regions and agreeing to neutrality and limits on its military capability and foreign weapon supplies. The European Union on Tuesday proposed export bans aimed at depriving Russia of critical technologies and industrial goods, including restricting dual-use items used in producing drones, missiles and other weapons. 'We want to make sure that Russia does not find ways to modernize its weapons with European technologies,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels. The E.U. also proposed banning the Nord Stream pipelines and cutting the Group of Seven oil price cap to $45 as part of the new sanctions package. In addition to the Shahed drones, which Russia started to import from Iran in 2022 before starting its own production, Russia has developed a new drone using Chinese technology that can select targets using AI. Ukrainian military intelligence on June 9 published details of the design of the new Russian V2U strike drone, which it said is used by Moscow's forces in Ukraine's northeast Sumy region. Ukraine has led the way in using drones on the battlefield. It launched UAVs from within Russia to strike a series of strategic air bases on June 1, destroying bombers, in one of the most audacious aerial attacks of the war. It's also deployed drones to devastating effect on the frontlines to prevent major Russian advances and to hit vital infrastructure deep inside Russian territory - including transportation networks and oil refineries. 'Russia has caught up and is maximizing production and use of drones, but they're doing this in a conventional way,' said Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a defense think tank. 'The Ukrainians are managing not to lag behind in the drone war by responding asymmetrically.' With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.

Russia Expands Military Cooperation with North Korea
Russia Expands Military Cooperation with North Korea

Miami Herald

time30 minutes ago

  • Miami Herald

Russia Expands Military Cooperation with North Korea

Russia has agreed to help North Korea set up sites on the divided peninsula to manufacture Iranian-designed Shahed drones, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official has said. North Korea is heavily supported by Russia and China, and last year became the first country besides Russia and Ukraine to commit combat troops to the war in Eastern Europe. North Korea has also been a major contributor of ammunition and missiles to Russia's war effort. International watchers believe Pyongyang is, or will be, receiving economic aid and a hand-up with its weapons development programs, including submarines and ballistic missiles, from Moscow in exchange for munitions, missiles and troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced a mutual defense pact in June last year, which was signed in November. Russia has agreed to help North Korea set up sites on the divided peninsula to manufacture Iranian-designed Shahed drones, said Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Kyiv's GUR military intelligence agency. "It will for sure bring changes in the military balance in the region between North Korea and South Korea," the intelligence chief told The War Zone. "This is gravely concerning," William Alberque, a visiting fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center and a former director of NATO's Arms Control, Disarmament and WMD Non-Proliferation Center, told Newsweek. Cooperation between Pyongyang, Moscow and Tehran on drones will likely equip North Korea with "thousands, and then tens of thousands, of attack drones ready for combat, tested in battle, and incorporated into doctrine," Alberque said. Seoul would benefit from working closely with Kyiv and NATO member states to develop new ways to shield South Korea's airspace and critical infrastructure from its northern neighbor, he added. Newsweek has reached out to the South Korean embassy in the United Kingdom for comment via email. Shahed drones have plagued Ukraine's air defenses since the early months of the full-scale war, launched by Russia in February 2022. While slow-moving, the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as Geran drones, are hard for Ukraine's overworked air defenses to detect. The drones are known for their distinctive, low buzzing sound, and can carry warheads that shatter or explode when the UAV reaches its target. Russia quickly established sites to pump out the Iranian-designed drones on Russian soil. The GUR told Ukrainian media earlier this month that Moscow was capable of producing roughly 170 new drones each day. Russia launched 315 Shahed drones and two of North Korea's KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv's air force said early on Tuesday. Moscow has used North Korean-made ballistic missiles frequently when targeting Ukraine. Experts say that Russia wielding these missiles in combat can reveal details about opaque weapons development in North Korea, but will also allow Pyongyang to tweak and improve its missiles. North Korea has recast South Korea as its "principal enemy," officially moving away from the long-held goal of reunification. The countries have remained technically at war since an armistice agreement signaled the end of the Korean War in 1953. The U.S. State Departmentsaid last week that Russian support for North Korea "must end" after Sergei Shoigu, Russia's former defense minister now serving as the secretary of Russia's security council, visited the secretive nation's capital. North Korea's state news agency said in a readout that Moscow and Pyongyang agreed to "dynamically expand and develop" relations and deepen the "strategic partnership" between the two countries. Kim reassured Shoigu that North Korea would "unconditionally support" Russian foreign policy, including on Ukraine, state media reported. Related Articles Israel Denies Envoy's Claim of Patriot Defenses Given to UkraineNATO Ally Scraps Purchase of US Black Hawk Helicopters'Trump Is Losing,' Putin's Top Propagandist SaysRussia Won't End Ukraine War Until NATO 'Pulls Out' of Baltics: Moscow 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store