As the world marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a diplomatic clash at the United Nations illustrated the dramatic divide that has emerged between the United States and Europe since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump just over one month ago.
The cause of the clash was a disagreement over the wording of rival UN resolutions marking the anniversary of the Russian invasion. The resolution initiated by Ukraine and supported by most Western nations explicitly identified Russia as the aggressor, while a version promoted by the United States adopted a more neutral tone and emphasized the need for peace.
The United States voted against the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, siding with a handful of states including Russia, Belarus, and North Korea. The resolution passed thanks to backing from 93 nations including Ukraine and America’s traditional European allies.
The significance of this US realignment was widely noted. “If you want a measure of the scale of the transatlantic rift, consider this: I am told that yesterday was the first time since 1945 that the US voted with Russia and against Europe at the UN on an issue of European security,” commented BBC News diplomatic correspondent James Landale.
Hours later, the US successfully spearheaded a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for a “swift end” to the conflict and urging a “lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” Notably, Russia was not named as the aggressor. This marked the first adoption of a Security Council resolution on Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russia holds veto power in the Security Council and has effectively prevented the body from passing any resolutions on the invasion of Ukraine until now. Clearly, the Kremlin approved of the change in tone from US diplomats.
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While only United Nations Security Council resolutions are binding, the UN General Assembly is widely seen as a key diplomatic battleground. Ukrainian diplomats duly celebrated the adoption of their resolution. “Sometimes it is not easy to fight for the truth. But in the end, it is the truth that makes history,” wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Meanwhile, the US-led Security Council resolution earned praise from the Kremlin, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcoming it as an indication that the causes of the war were being better understood in the West.
Speaking after the United Nations votes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the United States position on the resolutions reflected President Trump’s emphasis on ending the war. “We didn’t feel it was conducive, frankly, to have something out there at the UN that’s antagonistic to either side,” he commented.
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While many Americans back Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine, the decision to vote alongside Russia and other authoritarian powers has sparked concern and some bipartisan condemnation. “I was deeply troubled by the vote at the UN today which put us on the same side as Russia and North Korea. These are not our friends. This posture is a dramatic shift from American ideals of freedom and democracy,” commented Republican senator John Curtis. “Siding with Russia and North Korea over freedom and democracy? Unconscionable. Dangerous. Weak,” offered Democratic senator Amy Klobuchar.
Trump has repeatedly stated that his goal is peace in Ukraine. His team insists the recent UN maneuvers were aimed at creating a less confrontational climate and setting the stage for meaningful negotiations. Critics counter that any serious peace process must recognize the root causes of the war and acknowledge the central role played by Russia’s imperial ambitions. Refusing to name Russia as the aggressor may prove popular in Moscow, but this does not change the reality of Russia’s actions. On the contrary, it risks fueling the Kremlin’s sense of impunity.
This week’s efforts to avoid offending Russia at the United Nations will add to existing concerns that the Trump White House is siding with the Kremlin against Ukraine and the rest of the collective West. While a strong case can be made for seeking to engage Russia, it is unclear why an administration eager to project strength appears so willing to make concessions to an authoritarian dictator while pressuring the victim of Russian aggression. Few UN votes go down in history, but the intense interest in this week’s resolutions reflects a far deeper sense of international alarm over what many see as the transformation of US foreign policy under Donald Trump.
Shelby Magid is deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.
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The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.
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Image: Vote results are displayed during the Eleventh Emergency Special Session draft resolution meeting in the United Nations General Assembly on the 3rd anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., February 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)