Latest news with #European-drafted
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-ambassador: Trump foreign policy will upend US role as international beacon of freedom
The Trump administration's foreign policy will upend the United States' position as an international beacon of freedom, former U.S. ambassador to Brazil Elizabeth Bagley said during an appearance this month in Palm Beach. 'We have been leaders of the free world, and now we are not, clearly,' she said in response to a question from the audience at a March 13 breakfast lecture hosted by the Palm Beach Civic Association at the Beach Club. Bagley, who has held a position in every Democratic administration since President Jimmy Carter's told the audience that since the Cold War, international aid programs have been an essential part of U.S. foreign policy. Since the administration of John F. Kennedy, the United States Agency for International Development and other programs funded by the U.S government have served to "develop friends through persuasion," Bagley said. That has helped the U.S. avoid pursuing foreign policy goals through the military, she said during the discussion moderated by Civic Association CEO Michael Pucillo. Such programs, and U.S. diplomacy are referred to in policy circles as "soft power" that can help the U.S global standing and serve as an invaluable tool to prevent volatile situations from escalating into armed conflict, Bagley said. She recalled that Jim Mattis, secretary of defense during Trump's first term, said, "if you cut development, then I'm going to need more soldiers." Since the beginning of Trump's second term on Jan. 20, the administration has cut more than 80% of the programs under USAID and fired thousands of workers and placed others on administrative leave. On March 18, a federal judge for the district of Maryland blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from firing any more USAID workers or terminating USAID contracts. On March 10, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration is not allowed to freeze funds Congress had already directed to be spent on foreign aid. Bagley told the audience that America's foreign policy had historically been bipartisan, as it was important for the country to speak to the world 'with one voice.' Bagley noted the diplomatic work the bipartisan President's Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy accomplished during her tenure on the board during the President George W. Bush's administration. She questioned whether bipartisan advisory commissions would continue to exist under the polarized politics of the Trump administration. Bagley also expressed concern over the current administration's treatment of longtime allies. She noted the administration's hostile rhetoric to Canada, Mexico, Ukraine and the European Union, and its softened stance toward Russia, a historic rival. She cited the Feb. 24 United Nations General Assembly Meeting, where the U.S. voted against a European-drafted resolution that called for the end of the war in Ukraine. Because Ukraine did not remove the statement noting Russia's invasion, "we vetoed the resolution,' she said. The countries that voted against the resolution include Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, "all the good guys," she said sarcastically. During that meeting, U.S. also abstained from voting on its own resolution that called for an end to the fighting in Ukraine, after Europeans led by France successfully amended the resolution to make it clear that Russia was the aggressor. Bagley also spoke about her time in the Carter administration as the Congressional liaison officer for The Panama Canal Treaties that returned the canal and its surrounding land to Panama, as the ambassador to Portugal under President Bill Clinton's administration, and as the ambassador to Brazil during the President Joe Biden's term. Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Ex-envoy: Trump foreign policy will upend US role as beacon of freedom
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events – day 1,097
Here is the situation on Tuesday, February 25: Fighting A 44-year-old woman was injured, and several houses were damaged following a Russian air attack in the Kyiv region, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, governor of the region that surrounds the Ukrainian capital. Poland scrambled military aircraft after Russia launched air raids on western Ukraine, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command said. Russia's air defence units intercepted and destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones overnight, the RIA Novosti and TASS state news agencies reported, citing the Ministry of Defence. Ukraine activated air raid alerts across the country at 03:50 GMT after the air force warned of a Russian missile attack. The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear, and there was no immediate comment from Russia. Politics and diplomacy Russia's Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said Moscow and Kyiv reached an agreement with the Red Cross to evacuate residents from the occupied Russian region of Kursk. The United Kingdom posted a notice on its government website announcing 67 new sanctions against Russia. The targets include global companies supplying to the Russian military and extending the regime on shipping by 40 vessels. Washington and Moscow officials are scheduled to meet again in Saudi Arabia, the AFP news agency reported citing an anonymous diplomatic source. Senior US and Russian officials met in Riyadh last week to discuss an end to the war. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it has submitted a new claim against Russia at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the arbitrary arrest and deportation of 19 Ukrainian journalists. The European Union's foreign ministers adopted a 16th package of sanctions against Russia. The targets include cryptocurrency exchange for the first time and a ban on third-country airlines that continue operations in Russia. The United States twice sided with Russia in votes at the United Nations, highlighting Washington's change of stance on the war. The two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution, passed by the UN General Assembly, condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, but pushed a US-drafted resolution through at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but refraining from criticism of Russia. US President Donald Trump said he would meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as early as this week to sign the rare earth deal in exchange for US aid. Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin said Russia was not concerned about the US-Ukraine deal on rare earth elements. President Vladimir Putin said Russia was not opposed to Europe's involvement in peace talks. However, he noted that Brussels had previously declined to engage in dialogue with Russia.
Saudi Gazette
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
NEW YORK — The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were competing resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favor with Moscow and casting doubt on America's long-term commitment to European rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calling for a swift end to diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US the much more powerful UN Security Council, which has 15 members, the unamended US resolution was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a "simple historic statement... that looks forward, not backward. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war".Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there. For this reason, the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war but its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council. — BBC
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war. First the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia. The Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed. The competing resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader. Trump's White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America's long-term commitment to European security. That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calling for a swift end to it. European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa. UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions. The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining. Zelensky says he hopes to end Ukraine war 'this year' Three years on, Ukraine's extinction nightmare has returned 'Trump hasn't got any plan': Russians speak to BBC after three years of war 'Gruesome sell-out or a chance to lead': What will happen when Starmer visits Trump? At the much more powerful UN Security Council, which has 15 members, the unamended US resolution was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstaining. America's acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a "simple historic statement... that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war". Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European allies. Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there. For this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war but its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council.
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on invasion of Ukraine
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed. The competing resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader. Trump's White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America's long-term commitment to European security. That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calling for a swift end to it. European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions. The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining. At the much more powerful UN Security Council, which has 15 members, the unamended US resolution was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a "simple historic statement... that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war".Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European allies. Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war but its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council.
