The reported pursuit of softer wording marks a stark shift in Washington’s stance
FILE PHOTO: Russian servicemen pictured in Lugansk People’s Republic, Russia. © Sputnik / Stanislav Krasilnikov The US is objecting to the term ‘Russian aggression’ in the upcoming G7 statement marking the third anniversary of the start of the Ukraine conflict, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing Western officials familiar with the matter. The Group of Seven, comprising the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, have traditionally issued declarations of support for Ukraine since the conflict escalated on February 24, 2022, routinely using terms such as Russia’s “war of aggression” and “unprovoked full-scale invasion.” However, according to the FT’s sources, US envoys are now advocating for softer language, proposing references to the “Ukraine conflict” rather than explicitly naming Russia as the ‘aggressor’. Washington’s reported objections to the usual phrasing follow Wednesday’s remarks by US President Donald Trump, who blamed the conflict on Kiev and described Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky as a “dictator without elections.” Zelensky responded by accusing Trump of being trapped in a Russian “disinformation bubble.”
The US is also refusing to co-sponsor a draft UN resolution set for February 24 which also condemns ‘Russian aggression’, Reuters reports, citing sources. This marks a stark shift by Ukraine’s most powerful Western ally and highlights a widening rift between Zelensky and Trump, the news agency said. Earlier this week, the US and Russia held a high-level diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia, aiming to lay the groundwork for a peace settlement in Ukraine and restoring dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Following the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Russian and American delegations “not only listened but also heard each other.” Russia has argued that the Ukraine conflict was provoked by NATO expansion towards its borders, Kiev’s aspirations to join the US-led military alliance, and Ukraine’s policies toward the Russian-speaking Donbass region. Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have since downplayed the likelihood of membership for Kiev as an outcome of a peace settlement. READ MORE: Trump accuses Ukrainians of ‘rudeness’ Trump also suggested last week that Russia should be readmitted into the G7. The country joined the group in 1998, making it the G8, and remained a member until 2014. The group suspended Moscow’s membership in March of that year after Crimea voted to join the country in a referendum, which the West claimed was an illegal annexation.
