
Russia-Ukraine conflict at turning point
Feb 25, 2025
Washington [US], February 25: The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has entered its fourth year amid divisions between the United States and its NATO allies amid pressure to end the fighting this year.
Yesterday, the confrontation between the US and Europe took place at the UN headquarters in New York City (New York State, USA) over the Ukraine resolution . Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to resign if NATO agreed to admit Kyiv.
Summit in Kyiv
Yesterday, in the capital Kyiv, President Zelensky received a delegation of European and Canadian leaders to commemorate the third anniversary of the war and show unwavering support for Ukraine. Among them were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and the presidents or prime ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Canada, according to AFP.
In addition to the leaders present in Kyiv, President Zelensky said 24 more leaders were attending remotely for a special summit between Ukraine and its Western allies to discuss a new direction for Ukraine in the coming time. A day earlier, the leader said he was ready to resign if this would give Ukraine the opportunity to join NATO. He also wanted to meet US President Donald Trump before any summit between the White House owner and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Washington has not responded to Mr. Zelensky's proposal.
In an interview with TASS yesterday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that Moscow wants to reach a long-term peace settlement with Ukraine, which addresses the root causes of the conflict, rather than a ceasefire agreement before the resumption of hostilities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also rejected the possibility of a ceasefire until peace talks produce results that meet Moscow 's demands .
Confrontation at the UN
Yesterday, the US submitted a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly and Security Council calling for a "prompt end" to the conflict, but without mentioning Ukraine's sovereignty. Russia currently controls parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson. On the same day, Ukraine and more than 50 other countries also submitted a draft resolution "confronting" Washington, demanding an end to the conflict this year.
Earlier in the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on countries to work together to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and find a solution to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed: "In the battle for survival, it is not only Ukraine's fate that is at stake, but also Europe's."
In Europe's latest move to re-evaluate its strategy on Ukraine, Costa announced that he would chair an emergency summit of the 27 EU leaders in Brussels on March 6, with Ukraine at the top of the agenda. "We are living in a decisive moment for Ukraine and European security," Costa wrote on X.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper