US Aligns with Russia in UN Votes on Ukraine Resolutions

 

The United States has twice voted alongside Russia at the United Nations in resolutions marking the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, signaling a significant shift in the Trump administration’s position on the conflict.

In the first instance, the US opposed a European-led resolution that condemned Moscow’s actions while reaffirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This vote placed the US in alignment with Russia and nations such as North Korea and Belarus during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.

Subsequently, the US drafted and supported its own resolution at the UN Security Council, calling for an end to the war but notably omitting any direct criticism of Russia. While the Security Council approved the resolution, two of America’s key allies—France and the United Kingdom—chose to abstain after their proposed amendments were vetoed.

These UN votes coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to President Donald Trump at the White House, where they sought to navigate deep disagreements over the war in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also set to meet with Trump on Thursday, underscoring ongoing tensions between the US and its European allies.

The Trump administration has significantly altered the dynamics of the transatlantic alliance, fostering closer ties with Moscow while raising questions about Washington’s commitment to European security. This division was starkly evident on Monday at the 193-member UNGA, where US diplomats championed a narrow resolution mourning casualties of the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and urging a swift resolution to the war.

In contrast, European representatives introduced a more explicit resolution, holding Russia accountable for its full-scale invasion and reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded," stated Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.

Despite strong support for the European-backed resolution, which passed with 93 votes in favor, the US did not merely abstain—it actively voted against it. This put Washington in the same camp as Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary, and several other nations, while 65 countries chose to abstain.

Although the UNGA ultimately approved the US resolution, it was only after amendments were made to include language in support of Ukraine. In response, the US then abstained from the final vote.

At the more influential 15-member UN Security Council, the original US-drafted resolution—calling for an end to hostilities but refraining from criticizing Russia—secured 10 votes in favor. The UK, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia opted to abstain.

America’s acting UN representative, Dorothy Camille Shea, defended the resolution as a "simple historic statement... that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war."

Rarely has the US found itself in such stark opposition to its traditional European allies.

Since Russia’s invasion three years ago, the Security Council has remained gridlocked due to Russia’s veto power as one of its five permanent members. As a result, the UNGA has emerged as the primary venue for debating the war, although its resolutions remain non-binding, unlike those passed by the Security Council.