The United States on February 24 split with its European allies at the United Nations by rejecting wording that blamed Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in resolutions seeking an end to the war.
In a major shift of its position on the conflict, the United States joined Russia and Belarus in the UN General Assembly in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that calls out Moscow's aggression. The vote was 93-18 with 65 abstentions.
The United States then abstained from voting on its own competing resolution after language was added making clear that Russia had invaded its smaller neighbor in violation of the UN Charter. The vote on that resolution in the 193-nation world body was 93-8 with 73 abstentions. Ukraine voted yes and Russia voted no.
The United States sided with Russia a second time when it pushed for a vote on its original draft resolution in the UN Security Council. The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five European countries -- Britain, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia -- abstaining.
Senator John Curtis (Republican-Utah) said he was "deeply troubled" by the U.S. vote that "put us on the same side" as Russia and North Korea.
"These are not our friends. This posture is a dramatic shift from American ideals of freedom and democracy," Curtis said on X. "We all want an end to the war, but it must be achieved on terms that ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security and that deter [President Vladimir] Putin from pursuing further territorial ambitions."
Resolutions passed by the General Assembly are not legally binding but are a closely watched way to gauge world opinion. Those passed by the UN Security Council are legally binding.
The divide represented a dramatic shift in transatlantic relations under President Donald Trump and follows his decision to open direct negotiations with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine without representatives of Ukraine and Europe at the table.
The votes also reflect tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Trump last week called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator" for not holding elections during wartime and falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war.
The U.S.-drafted resolution acknowledged "the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and called for "a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia" but didn’t mention Moscow's aggression.
In a surprise move, France, on behalf of European states, proposed three amendments which added references to Moscow's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the need for a "just, lasting and comprehensive peace" between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in line with the Charter of the United Nations.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a strong ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, apologized on February 25 for his country's support for a resolution reaffirming support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity, saying the vote cast was a "mistake."
He told Happy Television that Serbia should have exercised restraint by abstaining from the vote, as it did with the U.S.-backed proposal.
"I think Serbia made a mistake, I apologize to the citizens for that and I bear the blame for it myself," Vucic said.
In the Security Council, Russia used its veto to prevent any changes to the U.S. resolution.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa said her country is exercising its "inherent right to self-defense" following Russia's invasion. She told the General Assembly that the way Russian aggression is answered "will define the future of Ukraine…Europe and our common future."
As Ukraine marked the anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv called on all nations "to stand firm and to take…the side of the Charter, the side of humanity, and the side of just and lasting peace, peace through strength," she said.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea said multiple UN resolutions condemning Russia and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops "have failed to stop the war" that "has now dragged on for far too long and at far too terrible a cost to the people in Ukraine and Russia and beyond."
"What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all UN member states to bring a durable end to the war," Shea said.
Shea called it "a first step, but a crucial one," saying it "puts us on the path to peace."
