The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted to reaffirm Ukraine’s territorial integrity, adopting a strongly worded resolution drafted by Ukraine and its European allies.
The resolution condemned Russia’s invasion on the third anniversary of the conflict.
It also demanded that Russia immediately withdraw from Ukraine.
The resolution saw 93 votes in favor and 18 against, with 65 abstentions.
This comes as United States failed to get the U.N. General Assembly to approve its resolution urging an end to the war without mentioning Moscow’s aggression.
The brief U.S. draft resolution acknowledges “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict.”
The assembly made amendements to the U.S. proposal.
The amendments made to the US resolution included adding references to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in line with the founding UN Charter and reaffirming the UN’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.
The vote on the amended U.S. resolution was 93-8 with 73 abstentions, with Ukraine voting “yes,” and Russia voting “no.” The United States was forced to abstain.
The US put forward its text on Friday, February 21, 2025, pitting it against Ukraine and European allies who spent the past month negotiating with their own resolution.
The rejected US resolution marks a setback for the Trump administration in the 193-member world body.
However, it also shows some diminished support for Ukraine, whose resolution passed 93-18, with 65 abstentions. That is lower than previous votes, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia’s aggression.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mariana Betsa said that her country is exercising its “inherent right to self-defense” following Russia’s invasion, which violates the U.N. Charter’s requirement that countries respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations.
“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.”
Mariana Betsa
US Bemoans Resolutions Condemning Russia
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Ambassador, Dorothy Shea said that multiple previous U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops “have failed to stop the war,” which “has now dragged on for far too long and at far too terrible a cost to the people in Ukraine and Russia and beyond.”
“What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all U.N. member states to bring a durable end to the war.”
Dorothy Shea
Earlier, Shea stressed that Russia and Ukraine should back a US-proposed plan to bring the war to an end, as the UN General Assembly prepares to vote on a separate resolution marking the third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“The draft resolution submitted by the United States makes this very point. Our draft implores a swift end to the conflict, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
“This is what is needed now, and we urge all member states, including Ukraine and Russia, to join us in this effort.”
Dorothy Shea
The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body on Ukraine because the 15-member Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has been paralyzed by Russia’s veto power.
There are no vetoes in the assembly.
Its votes are closely watched as a barometer of world opinion, but the resolutions passed there are not legally binding, unlike those adopted by the Security Council.
The U.S. also wanted a vote on its proposal in the more powerful U.N. Security Council.
China, which holds the council presidency this month, has scheduled it for Monday afternoon.
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