UN General Assembly rejects US resolution on ending the war in Ukraine

In a win for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) refused to approve a US-backed resolution on Monday that urges an end to the war.

Members of the assembly refused to adopt Washington’s resolution as it failed to make mention of the Kremlin’s aggression.

Instead they approved a European-backed resolution which demands Russia immediately withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territories, which US President Donald Trump’s administration opposes.

Washington tried to pressure Kyiv into withdrawing their resolution in favour of its proposal. Ukraine refused, before approving the resolution with three European-proposed amendments, adding language to the US proposal which makes clear that Moscow invaded Kyiv in violation of the UN charter.

The amended resolution passed with 93 votes in favour, 8 no votes and 73 abstentions in a setback for the Trump administration in the 193-member world body, whose resolutions are not legally binding, but are viewed as an indication of world opinion.

A separate resolution drafted by Ukraine and European countries also passed with 93 votes in favour, 18 no votes and 65 abstentions. The US along with Russia, Israel and North Korea were among the countries that votes no.

The resolutions signalled diminishing support for Ukraine on the international level. UNGA passed Ukrainian resolutions with overwhelming majorities, seeing at times more than 140 members adopting them while condemning Russia.

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa said her country is exercising its “inherent right to self-defence”.

“As we mark three years of this devastation — Russia’s full invasion against Ukraine — we call 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.

US envoy Dorothy Shea meanwhile highlighted that multiple previous UN resolutions condemning Russia and demanding its troops withdraw failed to stop the war which has dragged on far too long.

“What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all U.N. member states to bring a durable end to the war,” Shea said.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have been simmering for some time with both Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanging blows.

Trump recently called Zelenskyy a “dictator” after falsely accusing Ukraine of starting the war, warning that he “better move fast” to negotiate an end to the conflict, or risk not having a nation to lead at all.

The 47th US president’s comments came after Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space”.

The Trump administration then went on to snub Kyiv’s resolution and bringing forward their own proposal. Washington also wants to push its vote on to the more powerful UN Security Council, where resolutions are legally binding.

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The vote did pass in the Security Council without the European amendments to the language that mention Russia’s aggression.

Shea thanked the council for their cooperation and says the resolution is a “first step” towards the path of peace, noting that it’s also the first resolution in three-years that “firmly” calls for an end to the war.

“This resolution puts us on the path to peace. It is a first step, but a crucial one, one of which we should all be proud. Now we must use it to build a peaceful future for Ukraine, Russia and the international community.”

The resolution passed with 10 votes in favour and five abstentions.

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