The UN General Assembly on Monday approved a European-backed Ukrainian resolution demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal, marking a diplomatic victory for Ukraine on the third anniversary of the invasion. Meanwhile, the US-backed resolution calling for an end to the war—without explicitly mentioning Moscow’s aggression—was rejected, aligning with opposition from the Trump administration.
The outcome represented a diplomatic blow to the Trump administration at the UN General Assembly, where resolutions serve as indicators of global sentiment despite lacking legal force.
The US diplomatic corps, including Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea, had urged Ukraine to withdraw their resolution in favour of the American proposal.
Ukraine maintained its position, whilst the assembly incorporated three European amendments to the US text, explicitly stating Russia’s violation of the UN Charter through its invasion of its neighbour.
Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Mariana Betsa emphasised her nation’s self-defence rights following Russia’s breach of UN Charter principles regarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“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, the Associated Press reported.
India was among the abstained
Support for Ukraine appeared to wane, with only 93 nations backing its resolution alongside 18 opposing votes and 65 abstentions, marking a decrease from previous votes where over 140 countries had condemned Russian actions.
India was also among the 65 countries that abstained from voting on the Europe-backed resolution that called for just and lasting peace, and also immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
This was in line with its earlier abstentions in the Assembly on resolutions condemning Russia.
What is the US-backed resolution
The original US resolution was brief and avoided explicitly naming Russia as the aggressor. It acknowledged “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict” and urged “a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, welcomed the original US resolution and proposed an amendment that would add the phrase “including by addressing its root causes” so the final line of the US resolution would read, “implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
What is the Ukrainian resolution
In response, France’s UN ambassador, Nicolas De Riviere, backed by over 20 European countries, proposed three amendments to more accurately reflect the situation in Ukraine.
These amendments replaced “Russia-Ukraine conflict” with “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” reaffirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called for a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter.
The Ukraine-backed resolution, in contrast, directly referred to “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and reinforced previous UN General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s actions.
It specifically demanded that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”
The resolution also called for de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities, and a peaceful resolution to the war while emphasising “the urgent need to end the war this year.”
