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European states believe that a potential refusal by the new U.S. administration to label Russia as an aggressor could signal Washington’s withdrawal from the group of countries preparing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by The Telegraph.
Western officials who spoke with The Telegraph said that U.S. representatives refused to call Russia an aggressor during a meeting of the Core Group—the coalition of nations working on the special tribunal.
A diplomatic note reviewed by The Telegraph revealed that European officials were “shocked” by U.S. statements at multiple international meetings, suggesting that Russia should be invited back into the “civilized world.”
This stance has cast doubt on the preparations for the group’s final meeting in March.
“If they (the U.S.) do not acknowledge this as aggression, they cannot participate,” one of The Telegraph’s sources stated.
Another called the potential U.S. withdrawal from the Core Group a “fairly radical shift.” “Rewriting history and pretending that Russia didn’t start this war is something we simply cannot and will not agree to,” they added.
European capitals are now holding discussions on a possible “collapse” of the special tribunal if the U.S. exits, The Telegraph notes.
Previously, media reports indicated that, for the first time, the U.S. opposed naming Russia as an aggressor in a joint G7 statement being prepared for the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Additionally, there is uncertainty in Washington over whether the U.S. will support a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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