US sides with Russia, votes against UN resolution condemning Ukraine invasion

In a break from its European allies, the United States aligned with Russia at the United Nations, voting against a resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday.
The move, under newly elected US President Donald Trump, has strained US-Europe ties and raised doubts about Washington’s shifting stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
The UN general assembly vote saw the US and Russia opposing a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that directly accused Moscow of aggression and demanded an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. The resolution was passed with 93 votes in favour, 18 against, and 65 abstentions.

The US then abstained from voting on its competing resolution after European nations, led by France, successfully amended it to blame Russia explicitly. Trump’s administration had initially proposed a resolution that called for peace but notably omitted any reference to Russian aggression. After the European amendments were added, the US backed away from its own draft, abstaining from the final vote, while Russia opposed it. The revised resolution still passed with 93 votes in favour, 8 against, and 73 abstentions.
The US later pushed for a vote on its original draft in the UN security council, where resolutions are legally binding. The 15-member council approved it 10-0, but five European nations abstained.
The two resolutions exposed tensions between the US, Ukraine, and European leaders. Trump’s choice to negotiate directly with Moscow, leaving out Ukraine and European allies, has shaken the transatlantic alliance.
The shift was further underscored by Trump’s rhetoric. He recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator," falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war, and warned that Zelenskyy “better move fast” to negotiate peace or risk not having a country to lead. Zelenskyy hit back, saying Trump was living in a Russian-made "disinformation space."
Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington on Monday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to visit later this week. Just weeks ago, these key US allies were united on Ukraine, but now find themselves at odds with Washington’s evolving position.

US deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea defended Washington’s approach, arguing that previous UN resolutions condemning Russia had failed to stop the war. “What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all UN member states to bring a durable end to the war,” she said.
Furthermore, Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Mariana Betsa insisted that Ukraine was exercising its “inherent right to self-defence” and urged nations to take the “side of the Charter, the side of humanity and the side of just and lasting peace, peace through strength.”
The general assembly has taken on a central role in addressing the war, as the security council remains paralyzed by Russia’s veto power. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the general assembly has passed multiple resolutions condemning Moscow and demanding an immediate troop withdrawal.
The Ukrainian-backed resolution adopted on Monday reaffirmed these demands, insisting that no territorial gains made through aggression should be recognised as legal. It also called for an urgent end to hostilities this year.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the US-drafted resolution as "a good move" before the European amendments were added. Moscow also proposed its own amendment calling for the "root causes" of the conflict to be addressed, but this was not included in the final text.