On Monday at the UN, Greece diverged from the US on the war in Ukraine by endorsing a European-drafted resolution that condemned Moscow’s actions and affirmed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the United Nations to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration’s change of stance on the war.
First, the US opposed the European resolution voting the same way as Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then the US drafted and voted for a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia. The Security Council passed the resolution but US’s European allies, including Greece, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
Greece is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Although it cannot use a veto it participates in the meetings and votes.
Greece unlike the US, stresses the territorial integrity of Ukraine
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis stressed that Greece condemns any violation of international peace and security through military aggression, reaffirming its clear stance towards Ukraine since the beginning of the war. He called for an end to the suffering and praised every effort towards peace.
“We need peace. The war must stop. We all agree on this. And we commend all efforts in this direction,” he noted.
But he expressed concern about the lack of reference to international law and the UN Charter in the Security Council Resolutions.
Gerapetritis wondered why the amendments of the European members, which called for an immediate end to the conflict and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, were not accepted and stressed that it is inconceivable to disagree on fundamental principles such as sovereign equality and territorial integrity of states.
Trump’s White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favor with Moscow and casting doubt on America’s long-term commitment to European security.
European-US rift at the UN on Ukraine
That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” and calling for a swift end to it.
European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions.
The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining.
At the much more powerful 15-member UN Security Council, the unamended US resolution – which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia – was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstaining.
America’s acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a “simple historic statement… that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war”.
Rarely has the US been so at odds with its European allies, the BBC notes.
Greece attempts a balancing act
Greece’s PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis attempted a balancing act between the US and Europe over Ukraine when speaking to Bloomberg last week.
Mitsotakis was careful not to be seen directly criticizing President Trump who on labeled Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “a dictator,” but stressed that any solution to the war cannot be achieved without Ukraine.
“President Trump is a smart man and has his own unique way of expressing himself,” the prime minister commented when asked about the description of “dictator” that the US president attributed to the Ukrainian president.
The shift in US policy under President Trump toward the war in Ukraine, Russia and Europe presents a novel challenge for Greece and its diplomacy.
Since the end of WWII, Greece has been closely allied to the West including the US and Europe. It did not have to choose between the two. Now Athens is navigating a complex diplomatic challenge, balancing its commitment to the European Union with its long-standing relationship with the US.
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