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Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The data that reveal growing strains in the special relationship
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.
Telegraph
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The data that reveal growing strains in the special relationship
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.
Russia Today
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state calls for direct peace talks with Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has urged the EU to immediately engage in direct dialogue with Russia to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine, the Financial Times has claimed, citing a letter the politician reportedly sent to Brussels. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Budapest has repeatedly criticized the EU's weapons shipments to Kiev. The Hungarian government has also called for the sanctions imposed on Russia to be lifted. In its article on Saturday, the FT, citing a letter that Orban supposedly sent to EU Council President Antonio Costa, claimed that the Hungarian prime minister had demanded that the bloc initiate 'direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire.' Orban also reportedly stated that 'it has become evident that there are strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by drafting or communication,' as quoted by the British newspaper, which interpreted the remark as an indication that Budapest would block any agreement within the bloc, unless it heeded Hungary's call. The Hungarian leader reportedly cited the US-drafted resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Monday that Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, hailed as a 'starting point for future efforts towards peaceful settlement.' The resolution calls for a 'swift end' to the Ukraine conflict, while eschewing any rhetoric directly condemning Russia. The 15-member council adopted the resolution in a 10-0 vote, with France, the UK, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia abstaining. In his letter to Costa, Orban stated that the document 'signals a new phase in the history of the [Ukraine] conflict and renders all previous agreed language by the European Council irrelevant,' according to the FT. The Hungarian prime minister's purported message came ahead of an EU summit next week, which is expected to center on additional military aid for Ukraine, the FT wrote. In an interview with Hungary's Kossuth Radio on Friday, Orban poured cold water on Ukraine's EU aspirations, clarifying that while Budapest did not oppose assession in principle, 'here and now, this is unthinkable.' He argued that Ukraine's admission at present 'would destroy Hungarian farmers… and subsequently the entire Hungarian national economy.' 'I also don't see clearly how we will curb the crime that would inevitably flood into Hungary along with it,' the prime minister added. Delivering his annual state of the nation address in Budapest last week, Orban predicted that Ukraine would not be admitted into NATO either, but would instead 'once again be a buffer zone' between the military bloc and Russia once hostilities with Moscow were over. He also said that the 'European and American liberals' had badly miscalculated, thinking that Russia would not respond to their attempts to drag Kiev into NATO.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Countries Tell Ukraine ‘You Are Not Alone' after UN Adopts Neutral Stance on War
Dozens of countries rallied behind Ukraine at a meeting at the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday, a day after the UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution that takes a neutral stance on the conflict. The event, held to commemorate "resistance to the Russian aggression", follows the resolution adopted in New York on the war's third anniversary that reflects President Donald Trump's upending of US policy on Ukraine and his more conciliatory stance towards Russia. "You are not alone. Norway and other countries, all the countries who are here, but also other countries, will continue to support you as you fight for your territorial integrity, your sovereignty and your human dignity," Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik told a packed room of ministers and diplomats. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died since Russia invaded in 2022 and more than 6 million are refugees abroad. Russia has said it had no choice but to launch what it calls its "special military operation" due to the NATO alliance's eastwards expansion. Estonia's Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs, told the room she was "extremely worried" by the fact that the Security Council passed a resolution that does not include long-held language on Ukraine's territorial integrity. "But I think the European resolve is even greater. When there's someone else not as strong, the others fill in," she told Reuters after the meeting, co-organized by Ukraine and Liechtenstein on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council. The US failed to convince the UN General Assembly to pass the same resolution that passed in the Security Council on Monday. The General Assembly instead adopted motions seen as more favorable for Ukraine, in a diplomatic victory over Washington. Most countries attending the Geneva event were European and included France and Germany, but others such as Türkiye, South Korea, Australia and Japan were also present. Washington sent a delegate who did not take the floor. Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, who at one point became emotional while addressing the room, 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.
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
US rejects UN resolution condemning Russia's war: How your country voted
The United States on Monday broke away from its European allies by declining to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine during votes on three United Nations resolutions aimed at ending the three-year conflict. In the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the resolution called for 'advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine'; it also called for de-escalation, the early cessation of hostilities and the peaceful resolution of the war. Separately, the UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution, titled The Path to Peace, which calls for an immediate end to the conflict and advocates for lasting peace. This resolution did not level any accusations against Russia and posed the conflict in neutral terms as a war between Moscow and Kyiv. Finally, the US abstained from voting on its own competing resolution at the UNGA after several amendments were made to strengthen the language condemning Russia. Below is a breakdown of how each country voted on the first of the three resolutions — the UNGA resolution that did pass, calling for the cessation of hostilities in New York City on Monday: For (93): A: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria B: Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria C: Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic D: Denmark, Djibouti E: Egypt, Estonia F: Fiji, Finland, France G: Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana I: Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast J: Jamaica, Japan, Jordan L: Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg M: Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar N: Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway P: Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal R: Romania S: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland T: Thailand, East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkiye U: Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay B: Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi C: Central Africa Republic E: Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea H: Haiti, Hungary I: Israel M: Mali, Marshall Islands N: Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea P: Palau R: Russia S: Sudan U: United States Abstention (65): A: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia B: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei C: Chad, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba D: Dominican Republic E: El Salvador, Ethiopia G: Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea H: Honduras I: India, Iran, Iraq K: Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan L: Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya M: Malawi, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Mozambique N: Namibia, North Macedonia O: Oman P: Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay Q: Qatar R: Rwanda T: Tajikistan, Togo, Tuvalu, Tanzania U: Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan V: Vietnam Y: Yemen Z: Zambia, Zimbabwe
