File photo of Ukrainian soldiers | Photo credit: Atlantic Council
The United States voted against a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution naming Russia as the aggressor in the Ukraine conflict.
The stark divergence in diplomatic approaches saw the US align with Russia, a country it had blacklisted under the previous administration and turned its back on its longtime European allies.
In Monday’s UNGA session marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US proposed a resolution that urged an end to the war without mentioning Moscow’s aggression.
The UN turned down the resolution.
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Instead, it approved a European-backed Ukrainian resolution demanding that Russia immediately withdraw its forces.
The US joined the coup-led African nations of Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso to reject the resolution.
The resolution was passed 93-18, with 65 abstentions. This is lower than previous votes, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia’s aggression.
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The diminished support for Ukraine comes as US President Donald Trump has leaned closer to Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart while straining ties with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump, who has touted himself as the only person capable of ending the war, has accused Zelensky of starting the conflict.
The strained relationship between both men became more brittle when Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” after the Ukrainian president suggested he was living in a “Russian disinformation bubble.”
UN resolutions are not legally binding but are seen as reflections of world opinion.
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