The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution on the war in Ukraine this Monday, once again denouncing Russian aggression, urging for a "complete, fair, and lasting peace," and demanding a withdrawal of invading troops. The text, driven by Kiev and its European partners, passed with 93 votes in favor, 65 abstentions, and 18 countries voting against, including not only Russia and its usual allies but also the United States, Hungary, and Israel.
Washington's shift, voiced in recent weeks by Donald Trump and executed in Brussels, NATO, and Ukraine by its top officials, reaches new heights within the framework of multilateralism. The message was approved but with much less support than previous ones, which had over 140 'yes' votes. Washington couldn't stop it but did undermine international community support with its pressures. An internal memo sent on Saturday to all U.S. diplomatic delegations urged members to "engage with local governments at the highest possible levels" and encourage them to support the U.S. resolution and urge Ukraine to withdraw its own resolution, "which does not promote the U.S. goal of achieving lasting peace."
Last week, G7 members faced huge challenges due to White House attempts to water down the language of their statements, which in the last three years have always been very strong in addressing the invasion. Trump and his team want fewer adjectives, not to refer to Russia as the aggressor or guilty of the situation, citing the desire to reach peace. "I don't want to explain it now, but I think it's quite evident," President Trump said in the Oval Office when asked why the United States joined Russia in voting 'no'.
Richard Gowan, a UN expert from the International Crisis Group, pointed out that this clash is undoubtedly "the biggest division among Western powers in the UN since the Iraq war, and probably even more fundamental." Another example of an unprecedented escalation. "The new era at the UN. The United States sides with Russia... and votes against the resolution condemning the Russian invasion. China abstains. Then the UN also votes on the U.S. resolution on Ukraine that does not label Russia as the aggressor," noted Tymofiy Milovanov, president of the Kiev Business School and former economy minister.
The powerful U.S. machinery mobilized again in New York, this time in vain, to try to get Ukraine to withdraw its resolution proposal, so it wouldn't have the support of the EU and especially the UK and France. To change the language. And ultimately, even to try to submit only a different text, drafted by the U.S., for approval. But they didn't succeed.
After voting alongside Russia and its allies (but also with Hungary and Israel, loyal to Trump) against Ukraine, the U.S. saw how its own text, much more lenient towards Moscow, was also put to a vote. The irony is that it was approved, but only after a series of amendments were added [not a Russian one, which was rejected] that hardened the tone and pointed at the Kremlin. This led to the embarrassment of the U.S. ending up abstaining from what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described on Friday as "a simple and historic resolution (...) to pave a path to peace."
The U.S. resolution draft did not condemn Russia as the aggressor in the conflict or recognize Ukraine's territorial integrity. "This resolution is consistent with President Trump's belief that the UN should return to its founding purpose, enshrined in the UN Charter, to maintain international peace and security, including through the peaceful settlement of disputes," Rubio said in a statement. "If the United Nations is truly committed to its original purpose, we must recognize that, while challenges may arise, the goal of lasting peace remains achievable. By supporting this resolution, we affirm that this conflict is terrible, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible," he concluded.
The farce was complete to Russia's satisfaction, as without lifting a finger, it sees the complete separation of interests and movements of the world's leading power and those of the invaded country and its allies. Washington not only started negotiations with Russia already, without consulting or involving Kiev, but is pressuring Volodymyr Zelensky in what European countries consider an unacceptable extortion to hand over control of up to 50% of its mineral resources. Not even in exchange for ensuring its future, but for past assistance.
The approved resolution, which the U.S. couldn't stop despite its efforts, clearly denounces "the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation" and recalls the need to implement all previous Assembly resolutions "adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine." Since the invasion, exactly three years ago today, the General Assembly has adopted half a dozen resolutions condemning the war and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.
The acting U.S. representative, Dorothy Camille Shea, in a speech that will go down in the institution's history, explained that her country could not support either the initial text or the amendments, sponsored by France [whose president is meeting with Trump in Washington today] and a group of other European countries, which include an explicit commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity. The reason: "these amendments are a war of words instead of seeking an end to a war. Our resolution is not a peace plan, but it is a path to it. The resolution presented by Ukraine will not end the war," she said.
There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, but there are in the Security Council, where the U.S. also plans to present a text today, announcing that it will not allow any modifications.