The United States is opposing calling Russia the aggressor in the war with Ukraine in a Group of 7 statement being drafted to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.  The New York Times reports that three senior officials from countries involved said this on February 20. 

The American objections to the statement come after the U.S. President Trump earlier this week blamed Ukraine for starting the war, which in fact began with Russia’s attack on Ukraine, The New York says, noting that one senior official from a Group of 7 country said that Canada had circulated the first draft of the statement to the other six member countries.  

The U.S. side went through that first draft this week and removed all references that could be interpreted as being pro-Ukraine, the official was cited as saying.  The result was a neutral draft statement that made no references to Russia as the aggressor in the conflict, nor to Ukraine as the victim of the invasion, the official added.

Canada took the lead in writing the draft because it currently holds the presidency of the Group of 7.

The U.S. objection to labeling Russia as an aggressor was reported earlier by The Financial Times.

One of the senior officials from a Group of 7 nation, who asked not to be identified because this person was not authorized to speak publicly, reportedly added that the drafting and negotiating over the text could continue until Monday, when the text is set to be published.

Similarly, it is not yet settled whether the Group of 7 leaders who will meet virtually on Monday will invite President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to participate, as he did last year, the official said.

The United States is also refusing to serve as a co-sponsor of a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution for the anniversary that backs Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemns Russian aggression, the Reuters news agency reported.