US Joins Russia in Opposing UN Measures on Ukraine.
(The Post News)- The United States has surprisingly sided with Russia in a UN vote regarding the Ukraine invasion, marking a significant shift in the Trump administration’s stance. The U.S. opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. They voted similarly to Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The U.S. then drafted and voted for a UN Security Council resolution urging an end to the Ukraine conflict without criticizing Russia. The Security Council passed the resolution, but key U.S. allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with President Trump at the White House amid efforts to address Ukraine war differences. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will visit Trump on Thursday. Trump’s White House has shaken the transatlantic alliance, favoring Moscow and doubting long-term U.S. commitment to European security.
U.S. diplomats have sparked concern with a watered-down UN resolution on Ukraine, which is surprisingly soft on Russia’s aggressive actions. France proposed UN amendments blaming Russia’s “full-scale invasion” for the Ukraine conflict, significantly strengthening the resolution’s language. The amendments reaffirm Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, calling for peace aligned with the UN Charter.
Russia then proposed a UN amendment to tackle the underlying reasons for the Ukraine conflict. All amendments were approved, and the resolution passed with 93 votes in favor, 8 against, and 73 abstentions. Ukraine voted “yes,” the U.S. abstained, and Russia voted “no.”
U.S. allies in Asia, Europe, Canada, and Mexico backed the UN resolutions, except for Hungary. Ukraine exercises its right to self-defense against Russia’s invasion, citing UN Charter violations and sovereignty breaches, according to Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.
Trump has often stated his commitment to bringing “peace through strength.” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward warned that if Russia is allowed to win, the world will live by the rule of might, where borders can be redrawn by force, and aggressors can act with impunity.
Denmark’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lorre Machon emphasized that in peace negotiations, “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about European security without Europe.” U.S. Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea noted that repeated UN resolutions condemning Russia have failed to end the devastating war.
In the Security Council, Russia used its veto to prevent European amendments to the U.S. resolution, which is legally binding but virtually toothless. A UN resolution urges a swift end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, seeking lasting peace between the two neighboring countries immediately.
The General Assembly leads on Ukraine due to Russia’s veto power paralyzing the UN Security Council. It has approved six resolutions since Russian forces stormed across the border on February 24, 2022. On Monday, Ukraine’s resolution demanded Russia’s immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of military forces from Ukrainian territory.
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