The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Ukraine, with the US and Russia voting against it.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Ukraine: the US and Russia voted against it.

On Monday, February 24, the UN General Assembly supported a resolution proposed by Ukraine and its partners with 93 votes. Russia and the US voted against.

RBK-Ukraine explains the significance of this resolution, the behind-the-scenes struggle surrounding it, and how it relates to the recent warming of relations between the US and Russia, particularly concerning Ukraine.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution with 93 votes in favor, demanding that Russia immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine. 18 countries voted against, and 65 abstained.

Countries that voted against included the US, Russia, Hungary, and Israel. Meanwhile, China abstained.

The resolution titled "Promoting the Achievement of a Comprehensive, Just, and Lasting Peace in Ukraine" was introduced by Ukraine in collaboration with over 50 states, including most European countries.

Additionally, the General Assembly supported a US-proposed resolution on Ukraine with 89 votes in favor. The original text did not state that Russia was the aggressor, nor did it call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories.

However, the General Assembly made amendments to the American resolution, replacing the phrase "conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine" with "full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine."

After these amendments, there were enough votes in the hall for the revised American resolution. Russia voted against, while the US abstained.

What is the essence of the Ukrainian resolution?

The Ukrainian document is largely in line with another resolution on Ukraine that the General Assembly adopted two years ago, on February 23, 2023, marking the first anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion. At that time, 141 UN member states voted in favor, with only seven (Russia and its satellites) voting against.

This resolution clearly labels Russian aggression as aggression, reaffirms Ukraine's sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, calls for the establishment of lasting peace within this year based on the principle of "territorial integrity of states," and demands that Russia "fully and unconditionally withdraw all its armed forces from the territory of Ukraine" and cease military actions against Ukraine and any attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

Initially, it was expected that the current resolution, especially introduced by so many Western countries, would again be supported without significant difficulties. However, unexpectedly, the United States introduced its own alternative resolution.

The American resolution on Ukraine

In contrast to the relatively comprehensive Ukrainian document, the American resolution fits into nine lines and "calls for the establishment of lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation," without specifying any conditions or parameters for this peace, nor indicating who the aggressor is and who the victim of aggression is.

This document triggered a sharp reaction in Western media, even among those loyal to Donald Trump's administration. For instance, on Fox News, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset, when asked why the US does not want to acknowledge in the resolution the obvious fact that Russia attacked Ukraine, replied that "finding the guilty party" does not bring anyone closer to peace.

Sources from several American media, as well as interlocutors of RBK-Ukraine, confirm that the US persistently requested Ukraine to withdraw its resolution so that only the American document would be considered by the General Assembly. However, with the support of many European countries, Ukraine refused.

What is the significance of the American resolution?

The notably neutral US resolution is a clear indication of a shift in the American approach to the Russian-Ukrainian war under Trump. Such "competition of resolutions" between Ukraine and its Western allies would have been unlikely in the past, as would the unwillingness of the US to acknowledge the very fact of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

After Ukraine declined to withdraw its resolution, the Americans resorted to behind-the-scenes maneuvering. In particular, they sought to bring their resolution before the UN Security Council, starting from the morning in New York time, even before the General Assembly meeting. However, they were turned down by China, which is currently presiding over the Security Council.

Ultimately, the Security Council will still consider the American document, but after the General Assembly. Formally, Security Council resolutions have a higher status—they are binding, whereas General Assembly resolutions are of a recommendatory nature.

According to RBK-Ukraine's sources, the American resolution is almost certain to be approved at the Security Council meeting, requiring 9 out of 15 votes in favor. Importantly, none of the five permanent members of the Security Council—the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK—will veto it.

If this happens, it will mark the first decision by the UN Security Council on Ukraine in three years of full-scale war—all previous ones were blocked by Russia. However, the shift in the US approach under Trump evidently fully satisfies the aggressor nation. The joint voting of the US and Russia on the Ukrainian issue may well serve as a test of how possible further agreements are between the two countries, a path paved by the meeting of representatives from both nations in Saudi Arabia last week.