After this public session, the 15 members of the council will confer behind closed doors to discuss a possible draft resolution, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.
This latter meeting has been proposed by Mexico and France, who are pushing a draft that calls for an end to hostilities in Ukraine, unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.
But it has run into obstacles, namely a warning from the United States that it will not support such a draft unless it states explicitly that Russia has caused the humanitarian crisis, another diplomat told AFP.
France originally wanted a vote last Tuesday but it did not happen.
Now, diplomats say France has shifted and in light of US criticism is no longer pushing for a vote as quickly as before.
Any draft resolution that criticizes Russia by name is doomed because Russia has veto power on the Security Council.
Ukraine’s Zelensky to address US Senate
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leading his country’s battle against the Russian invasion, will address the US Senate today, a US legislative aide said.
Zelensky will speak to senators via Zoom in the morning Washington time at the request of Ukraine.
As the war in Ukraine intensifies, some US lawmakers are urging President Joe Biden to take a tougher stance against Russia, such as by suspending imports of its oil.
The White House has ruled this out so far, fearing it might cause rising oil prices to go up even more and hurt US consumers stung by record inflation.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has called for “somebody in Russia” to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky himself is strongly urging NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to halt bombing raids but the Biden administration has ruled this out, fearing it might lead to an all-out war between the West and Russia, although some US lawmakers support the creation of such a zone.
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