UN resolutions . EU Parliament . Christ. Anderson . UN leashed

US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine. 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 a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity - 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 two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.

The UN resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader.

Trump's White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America's long-term commitment to European security.

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.

"We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.

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.

Republican Senator John Curtis said he was "deeply troubled" by the vote "which put us on the same side as Russia and North Korea".

"These are not our friends. This posture is a dramatic shift from American ideals of freedom and democracy," he wrote on X.

The vote was "contrary to our long-standing support of democracy", said former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ukraine's former minister of economy, Tymofiy Mylovanov, said the choice to side with Russia was deliberate.
"This is no longer just rhetoric or political theatre," he said.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 supposed European allies.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there.

For this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war. But its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council. /@BBCJLandale
--
'Fatherhood's like the early days of Franz Ferdinand'
25 December 2024
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rjelr56m7o
'Loathe' to write about politics again
Politics is something Franz Ferdinand have visited before. In 2014 they backed Scottish independence and two years later they released Demagogue, aimed at the then incoming American President Donald Trump.

However the second Presidency of Trump is unlikely to spur such a similiar reaction.

"Trump's not my favourite man and there's so much in worldwide politics that's disheartening," says the singer.

"But it's also disheartening how everyone is going on about politics all the time. I find it wearying and I'm loathe to do my share of it. It should be obvious Trump is an idiot and self-centred, does it need me to say that?

"Some of my friends on social media just bang on about it all the time. The arts is a powerful tool of protest and we should continue to do that, but there's a difference between that and low key whinging."They won't remain silent on some issues, though.

In 2024 the group were among Scottish musicians raising concerns over possible arts funding cuts, while a short tour saw them road-test new songs in some of the country's smaller venues.

UK dates for 2025 include the larger likes of the Barrowland in Glasgow, with a summer show at the city's SWG3 also booked in, but supporting grassroots music remains a passionate subject for the singer.

"I spent so many years in the basement of the 13th Note in Glasgow, so it's part of my DNA.
"To be in a dingy wee cellar with a band playing loudly - that's my happy place."

--
In a fiery address at the European Parliament, Christine Anderson called for an end to globalist policies, slamming international elites and backing President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). She also applauded cutting development aid, arguing that globalist programs serve only to weaken national sovereignty.

💥 Anderson’s bold stance has sparked major controversy—will her words lead to real change?

WATCH NOW as she exposes the truth behind globalist policies and demands a new path forward for Europe!
LIVE | AfD MEP Christine Anderson UNLEASHES on Globalists in EU Parliament | Backs Trump’s WHO Exit!LIVE | AfD MEP Christine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-IpkC1i8X8