WASHINGTON, February 25. /TASS/. Hostile resolutions of the UN General Assembly do not help settle the conflict in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with the Breitbart News outlet.
"We didn’t feel it was conducive, frankly, to have something out there at the UN that’s antagonistic to either side [of the Ukrainian conflict]," he said, commenting on Monday's UN General Assembly vote. Rubio added that the US tried to get Ukraine on its side, but it did not agree. "They wanted to move forward on their [draft resolution]," he pointed out.
"We then went to the Security Council with our compromise, which I think is very fair language and it basically says ‘war is a terrible thing.’ I’m paraphrasing and being simplistic, but it says war is a terrible thing, way too many people have died, this war needs to end in a way that’s enduring - in essence, echoing President Trump’s view of what this conflict needs to be and reminding the United Nations that the purpose of the United Nations was the ending of war and the prevention of conflicts, not making it harder to end conflicts," the top US diplomat said.
"I’m not telling you that that (the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution - TASS) is going to end this conflict <...>, but I certainly think our language is better language and hopefully furthers the cause of peace," Rubio concluded.
US resolution on Ukraine
On Monday, the UN Security Council voted in favor of the US resolution on the Ukrainian conflict. The document was adopted in its original form, the Security Council rejected both anti-Russian amendments by European countries and changes proposed by Russia aimed at clarifying the assessment of the Ukrainian crisis. The US abstained from voting on all amendments.
The adopted resolution is written in a neutral tone. It expresses sorrow for those killed in the Ukrainian conflict and emphasizes the UN's role in maintaining international peace and security. It also calls for an end to the conflict and the establishment of a long-term peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that the country regarded the US resolution adopted by the Security Council as a starting point for further efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.