[The Viewpoint of Dongki Kim] A Strange Situation at the UN Security Council: The US and North Korea on the Same Side

Resolution Passed Without Key Phrase "Russia Invaded Ukraine"
U.S.-Submitted Proposal Reflects Strategic Shift
Washington's New Approach Likely to Impact the Korean Peninsula

The world is shaking just one month after the inauguration of Trump’s second administration. It has been reported that the Trump administration has halted additional funding and arms support to Ukraine.

In this context, on the 12th, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met face-to-face for the first time with defense ministers of NATO member countries, demanding that Ukraine relinquish its territory. He also expressed a negative view on Ukraine’s NATO membership. The U.S. clearly stated that it would not bear responsibility for Ukraine’s defense after the war ends. On that day, Secretary Hegseth insisted that allied countries raise their defense budgets to about 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

On the 12th, U.S. President Trump spoke with Russian President Putin and announced that they had agreed to initiate negotiations to end the Ukraine war. A few days later, on the 18th, the U.S. and Russia held talks in Saudi Arabia and began negotiations to devise a plan to end the Ukraine war. Ukraine was not invited. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said that the U.S. and Russia would cooperate on geopolitical and economic issues, which depends on the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict. It was also reported that discussions took place regarding economic cooperation and lifting sanctions on Russia.

Additionally, the U.S. and Russia agreed to restore embassy staff in Washington and Moscow. It is known that the schedule for a summit between the two countries’ leaders was also discussed during this meeting. The two countries agreed to form a high-level negotiation team to end the Ukraine war.

Meanwhile, on the 24th, Olha Stefashyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, announced that negotiations on a mineral agreement between Ukraine and the U.S. are in the final stages. Trump is demanding a mineral agreement worth $500 billion from Ukraine in exchange for military and financial support received from the Biden administration. However, since the agreement did not specifically include security guarantees, President Zelensky refused to sign it. In response, President Trump harshly criticized President Zelensky, calling him a “dictator” and demanded his resignation, claiming that Zelensky is in power without an election. He threatened to cut off Starlink services if this demand was rejected. Ultimately, under pressure from the Trump administration, the negotiations were concluded.

However, on the 24th, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution urging the swift end of the Ukraine war with 10 votes in favor and 5 abstentions. The resolution, submitted by the U.S., was controversial from the outset because it omitted the key phrase “Russia invaded Ukraine.” An unusual situation unfolded where the U.S. sided with Russia and China, while the U.K. and France, longtime U.S. allies, opposed it. This reflected the Trump administration’s intention to end the war early through direct negotiations with Russia. In this process, a bizarre situation arose where the U.S. and North Korea found themselves on the same side.

This shocking move by the Trump administration is the result of a highly realist diplomatic approach. Trump aims to maximize U.S. national interests by readjusting international relations from a pragmatic and transactional perspective. He believes that Ukraine holds almost no strategic value for the U.S., and that a friendly relationship with Russia better serves U.S. interests. A few months after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, at the Davos Forum, Kissinger expressed concern that if the West engaged in a long-term confrontation with Russia, it would only strengthen the relationship between Russia and China. The Trump administration views China as the main competitor and judges that improving relations with Russia is advantageous for containing China. This strategic stance of the Trump administration will also have a significant impact on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Dong-gi, author of ‘The Power of the Dollar’ and attorney