Trump administration urges Kyiv to soften UN resolution against Russia

The Donald Trump administration in the United States wants Ukraine to withdraw an annual resolution at the United Nations condemning Russia's war and instead replace it with a US-sponsored statement calling for an end to the conflict that contains no mention of Russian responsibility, the Washington Post reported, citing officials and diplomats.

The suggestion has stunned Kyiv, which has refused to withdraw its resolution that is set to be voted on during a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Monday morning, coinciding with the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine was informed of the new US proposal on Friday.

The abrupt shift in US posture at the United Nations, where the United States has long been at the forefront of resolutions supporting Ukraine and condemning Russia, is an indication of the increasing strains between Kyiv and Washington, according to The Post.

It comes after President Donald Trump reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin while calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and blamed Ukraine for starting the war. On Tuesday, top U.S. officials held talks with Russia that excluded Ukraine.

As the dispute stretched into the weekend, the United States was said to be considering offering its version at a separate meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council, according to the officials and diplomats, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the still-unresolved discussions. It was unclear what that would mean for Ukraine's General Assembly resolution.

The Trump administration seemed resolute to have its locus supported. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement Friday saying that Washington "has proposed a simple, historic resolution in the United Nations that we urge all member states to support in order to chart a path to peace," the report added.