In a striking shift of policy, the United States has aligned with Russia in two key votes at the United Nations, marking the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This move underlines the Trump administration’s significant departure from previous US stances on the conflict.
The US first opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Russia’s aggression and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity during a vote at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In a rare alignment, the US voted alongside Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and other nations, rejecting the resolution.
Subsequently, the US introduced a separate resolution at the UN Security Council that called for an end to the conflict but omitted any direct condemnation of Russia. This resolution was passed despite key American allies, including the United Kingdom and France, abstaining after their proposed amendments were vetoed.
The UN resolutions coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the White House, where he sought to bridge the widening gap between the US and Europe over Ukraine. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also scheduled to meet with President Trump later this week, further emphasizing the strain in transatlantic relations.
The divergence was stark during Monday’s UNGA session, where European diplomats tabled a resolution explicitly blaming Russia for the invasion while reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa emphasized the need to condemn and discredit Russian aggression, stating, “We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded.”
While the European resolution received the backing of 93 nations, the US took an unusual step by voting against it. This placed the US in alignment with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary, and 11 other states. Another 65 countries chose to abstain.
The US resolution, which initially lacked language supporting Ukraine, was later amended under pressure. This change led the US to abstain from voting on its own proposal at the UNGA.
At the UN Security Council, where resolutions carry greater legal weight, the original US text—calling for an end to the war without assigning blame—was approved by 10 votes. The UK, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia abstained, signaling a lack of consensus among Western allies.
Dorothy Camille Shea, America’s acting envoy to the UN, defended the US stance, describing the resolution as a “simple historic statement… that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war.”
The US’s break with its European allies reflects a broader realignment under the Trump administration, raising concerns about the future of NATO and America’s commitment to European security. Since the 2022 invasion, Russia has used its veto power to block Security Council actions, leaving the UNGA as the primary platform for global debate on Ukraine. However, unlike Security Council resolutions, those passed by the UNGA are non-binding.
As the war enters its fourth year, the international community remains divided on how to respond to Russia’s actions, with the US’s evolving position adding further uncertainty to the global diplomatic landscape.
