US breaks with allies, backs Russia in UN Vote on Ukraine conflict

The United States voted alongside Russia on Monday against a resolution condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The decision marked a significant shift in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump, aligning with Moscow and its allies Belarus, North Korea, and Sudan, as the US staked out a new position on the ongoing conflict.

The European-backed resolution, which passed with 93 votes for, 18 against, and 65 abstentions, strongly criticized Russia and reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Trump’s administration had drafted a competing resolution amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, lauded the U.S. proposal, calling it “a step in the right direction” amid the warming ties between the two nations. However, France, a key U.S. ally, pushed for amendments to the U.S. text, making it clear that Paris, along with the UK and other European nations, could not support it in its current form. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch pro-Putin figure in Europe, also opposed the amendments.

The European revisions included a commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a key omission from the U.S. draft. The U.S. proposal was so heavily altered that Washington eventually abstained from voting on its own resolution, which the General Assembly passed with overwhelming European support. Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group remarked, “Overall the Europeans’ defensive tactics blunted a pretty crude US diplomatic charge over the last few days,” suggesting that the U.S. had underestimated European resolve.

Ahead of the vote, Dorothy Shea, the U.S. envoy to the UN, stated, “Neither these amendments, nor the resolution offered by Ukraine will stop the killing. The UN must stop the killing. We urge all Member States to join us in returning the UN to its core mission of international peace and security.” Despite the setback, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa stressed that Washington and Kyiv still maintained “a really good working relationship,” downplaying any rupture in ties.

Later Monday, the U.S. is expected to bring its unamended text to the UN Security Council for a vote. The State Department warned it would veto any amendments proposed by Russia or European nations. Under UN rules, permanent Security Council members, including the U.S., cannot veto amendments from the General Assembly. For the Security Council resolution to pass, it requires the votes of at least nine of the 15 members, with no vetoes from the five permanent members: the U.S., Russia, China, the UK, and France.

Even if France and Britain, along with other EU members, abstain, the U.S. resolution could still succeed. However, the prospect of France or Britain exercising their first veto in over 30 years raises significant questions. Gowan noted, “I do not see how Paris and London can support a text that is so far from their stated positions on Ukraine, but I also do not see how they can veto it.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking on Sunday, reiterated calls for a peace agreement that fully upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity and respects the UN Charter.