The Washington Post
February 24, 2025
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa speaks Monday during a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)
Washington’s shift on the conflict marks a major break with Europe and coincides with the Trump administration’s bid to appease Moscow.
By Karen DeYoung and John Hudson
The United States voted with Russia, North Korea, Iran and 14 other Moscow-friendly countries Monday against a resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine and calling for the return of Ukrainian territory. The resolution passed overwhelmingly in the U.N. General Assembly.
The U.S. delegation also abstained from voting on its own competing resolution that simply called for an end to the war, after European-sponsored amendments inserting new anti-Russian language in the resolution also passed the 193-member body by a wide margin. The amended U.S. resolution also passed.
The votes, taken on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, were an astounding reflection of the deepening split between the Trump administration and its major allies over support for Ukraine and disapproval of President Donald Trump’s unilateral outreach to the Kremlin to settle the war on terms favorable to Russia.
Trump has falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator,” spoken directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin about normalizing Washington-Moscow relations, and implied that strong U.S. sanctions against Russia over Ukraine may be lifted.
A State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity about the fast-moving diplomacy Monday, said the United States would introduce its resolution at a meeting of the 15-member U.N. Security Council later Monday and would veto any attempts to amend it. General Assembly resolutions are nonbinding but reflect world opinion, while Security Council votes, which require nine members in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — have the force of international law.
The U.N. votes came as Trump met at the White House with French President Emmanuel Macron for bilateral talks and a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, and prepared for a Thursday visit from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Both Britain and France voted for the Ukraine-sponsored resolution and the French-sponsored amendments to the U.S. measure in the General Assembly.
The Trump administration has opposed phrasing in a statement on Ukraine that the G-7 — which comprises the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Japan — has been preparing to issue this week. In a social media post after the Monday virtual meeting, Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the G-7 chair, as “Governor” Trudeau, a reference to the president’s ongoing call for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state, and repeated his contention that the war in Ukraine “would have never started if I was President.”
Trump also expressed hope for an agreement with Kyiv on what he called “the vital ‘Critical Minerals and Rare-Earths Deal,’” in which he has asked Ukraine to sign over the rights to 50 percent of its mineral wealth to “recoup” U.S. money spent on Ukraine’s defense. He said he was “in serious discussions” with Putin on ending the war and “also major Economic Development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia. Talks are proceeding very well!”
Asked by reporters ahead of his Oval Office meeting with Macron why the United States opposed the Ukraine-sponsored resolution condemning Russia, Trump said: “I would rather not explain it now, but it’s sort of self-evident.”
The Ukraine resolution, co-sponsored by dozens of other nations, was the seventh approved by the General Assembly — and the first not supported by the United States — since the war began.
“This is a moment of truth,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa told the assembly Monday, “a historic moment not only for Ukraine” but also for Europe and “for the entire democratic world. The way we answer to Russian aggression today … to Russian atrocities and crimes … will define … our entire future.”
The United States’ interim U.N. ambassador, Dorothy Camille Shea, told the assembly that “multiple resolutions … have failed to stop the war.” Urging support for the unamended U.S. measure, she called it “a simple statement … that looks forward, not backward, focused on one simple idea of ending the war.”
In remarks to the General Assembly before the votes, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya repeated Putin’s contention that the war was in response to attempts by the West to expand its own influence and territorial control at Russia’s expense, and by Ukraine to violate the human rights of its Russian-speaking minority.
After completion of the votes, Nebenzya voiced Russia’s appreciation of U.S. efforts and said, “I think today that the American colleagues have seen for themselves that the road to peace in Ukraine will not be an easy one, and there will be many who will try to make sure that peace doesn’t come for as long as possible.”
Kyiv was informed in advance that the United States would vote against Ukraine’s resolution, and U.S. demands that Zelensky’s government take its proposal off the table continued as late as Monday morning.
The Trump administration also pressured other nations, including through messages sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to all U.S. embassies, to vote against the resolution or to abstain.
“We told them we would not surrender,” a Ukrainian official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive diplomatic discussions. “This is a really unpleasant surprise, but it’s not for us to judge, it’s for the Americans themselves.” The official noted that Haiti was among the nations that aligned with the United States and voted against the resolution. If Washington is treating Ukraine with such pressure, the official said, “what will they do to Haiti?”
In addition to Haiti, countries voting against Ukraine’s resolution included Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Hungary, Israel, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Nicaragua, Niger and Sudan.
The required two-thirds majority was reached with all of Western Europe — with the exception of Hungary — and Australia voting for the resolution.
Sixty-five countries abstained, including China, the Persian Gulf nations, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Yemen, Vietnam and much of Africa.
Richard Gowan, a U.N. expert at the International Crisis Group, said the divide between the United States and Europe marked “the biggest split among Western powers at the U.N. since the Iraq War — and probably even more fundamental.”
Siobhán O’Grady in Kyiv and Michael Birnbaum contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Washington Post