UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations (UN) Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that takes a neutral position on the conflict as US President Donald Trump seeks to broker an end to the war.

The short resolution reflects Mr. Trump’s upending of US policy on Ukraine after taking office last month and his more conciliatory stance towards Russia. In contrast, former president Joseph Biden’s administration led efforts at the United Nations to support Ukraine throughout the war.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia acknowledged “constructive changes” in the US position on the conflict. He told the council the resolution was “not an ideal one,” but “a starting point for future efforts towards peaceful settlement.”

The 15-member UN Security Council had been deadlocked throughout the war and unable to take any action because Russia holds a veto.

But the 193-member General Assembly has repeatedly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in line with the UN Charter.

The US failed earlier on Monday to convince the General Assembly to pass the same three-paragraph resolution adopted by the Security Council.

The resolution mourns the loss of life in the “Russia-Ukraine conflict,” reiterates the UN’s purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes, and urges a swift end to the conflict and a lasting peace.

Security Council resolutions are considered binding, while General Assembly resolutions are not. However, General Assembly resolutions carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war.

The Security Council adopted the US resolution with 10 votes in favor, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstained. Russia voted in favor after failing to amend it and vetoing European bids to add language supporting Ukraine.

“This resolution puts us on the path to peace. It is a first step, but a crucial one — one of which we should all be proud,” acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the council. “Now we must use it to build a peaceful future for Ukraine, Russia and the international community.”

‘NO EQUIVALENCE’
However, Mr. Trump’s approach to mediation has left Ukraine and European allies wary of his focus on Russia and worried they could be cut out of talks to end the war.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council that the terms of peace in Ukraine matter and must “send a message that aggression does not pay.”

“This is why there can be no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in how this council refers to this war. If we are to find a path to sustainable peace, the council must be clear on the war’s origins,” she said.

French UN Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere — whose President Emmanuel Macron met with Mr. Trump in Washington on Monday — said that while France was “fully committed to peace in Ukraine, we call for comprehensive, just and lasting peace, and certainly not for capitulation of the victim.”

The General Assembly earlier adopted two resolutions, one drafted by Ukraine and Europeans and one drafted by the US that was amended by the assembly to include its long-held language supporting Ukraine. Those votes gave Ukraine and European states a diplomatic victory over Washington.

“This war has never been about Ukraine only. It is about a fundamental right of any country to exist, to choose its own path and to live free from aggression,” Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa told the assembly before the vote.

The amended US-drafted resolution won 93 votes in favor in the assembly, while 73 states abstained, and eight voted no. Russia failed in a bid to amend the US text to include a reference to the “root causes” of the conflict.

The resolution drafted by Ukraine and European countries passed with 93 votes in favor, 65 abstentions and 18 no votes. Along with the United States, some other countries that voted no were Russia, North Korea and Israel. — Reuters

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who is in critical condition in hospital battling double pneumonia, rested well throughout the night, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The 88-year-old pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14.

“The pope rested well all night,” the Vatican said in a one-sentence statement.

On Monday, the Vatican said the pontiff’s condition remained critical but had shown a “slight improvement”, adding that the “mild kidney insufficiency,” first reported at the weekend, was not a cause for concern.

Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has described the pope’s infection as “complex,” and said it was caused by two or more microorganisms.

Francis, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered bouts of ill health over the past two years. He is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Monday evening to pray for the pope’s recovery.

His friend, the Honduran cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, told La Repubblica newspaper: “I think…it’s not time for him to go to heaven yet.”

The pope signalled in early February that he had a bad cold, which meant he could not read out his speeches. Despite this, he continued to work, with multiple daily meetings and even taking part in open-air Masses, despite the chill.

Some well-wishers have said he should have taken better care of himself, but Maradiaga defended his work ethic.

“He is aware that he has a mission he must carry out, and nothing stops him. The pope explained that he did not accept his election (as pontiff) in order to rest,” he said.

In Monday’s statement, the Vatican said Francis had resumed working in his self-contained apartment within the Gemelli hospital, and had called the Catholic parish in Gaza, which the pope has done frequently during the Israel-Hamas war. — Reuters