Dozens of countries showed support for Ukraine during a meeting at the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday. This occurred a day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution that takes a neutral stance on the conflict.
The event, commemorating “resistance to the Russian aggression,” followed the resolution passed in New York on the war’s third anniversary. This resolution reflects President Donald Trump’s shift in U.S. policy toward Ukraine and his more conciliatory approach to Russia.
Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik addressed a packed room of ministers and diplomats, stating, “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.”
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died, and more than 6 million have become refugees abroad. Russia claims it had no choice but to launch what it describes as its “special military operation” due to NATO’s expansion eastwards.
Estonia’s Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs, expressed her deep concern that the Security Council passed a resolution lacking the traditional language on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
After the meeting, she told Reuters, “But I think the European resolve is even greater. When there’s someone else not as strong, the others fill in.”
The U.S. could not persuade the U.N. General Assembly to pass the same resolution that was approved in the Security Council the previous day. Instead, the General Assembly adopted motions viewed as more favorable to Ukraine, marking a diplomatic win for Kyiv against Washington.
Most of the countries that attended the Geneva event were European, including France and Germany. However, Turkey, South Korea, Australia, and Japan were also present. The U.S. sent a delegate who did not speak during the meeting.
Ukraine’s ambassador, Yevheniia Filipenko, became emotional while addressing the attendees. She urged countries to maintain their support for rebuilding Ukraine and pursuing accountability for crimes committed since Russia’s invasion.
She remarked, “The road ahead is very challenging, but when we are united we can prevail.”
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