Ukraine rift widens as US sides with Russia at UN

The division deepened further at the UN Security Council, where the US pushed for a separate resolution calling for a "swift end to the conflict" without directly attributing blame to Russia.

In a significant shift in its approach to the Ukraine war, the US sided with Russia twice on Monday at the United Nations, distancing itself from Kyiv and its European allies.

In a major departure from its previous position, Washington joined Moscow in voting against a European-backed resolution in the UN General Assembly that condemned Russia’s invasion and reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The resolution secured 93 votes in favor, while 18 nations - including the US, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Sudan - voted against it. Another 65 countries abstained.

The division deepened further at the UN Security Council, where the US pushed for a separate resolution calling for a "swift end to the conflict" without directly attributing blame to Russia. The resolution passed with 10 votes in favor and none against, while five nations—France, Britain, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia—abstained.

Despite European efforts to amend the US-backed resolution to explicitly state that Russia had launched a "full-scale invasion" of Ukraine, Washington refused to support the revised text.

US envoy to the UN Dorothy Shea defended the American position, stating, "The UN must stop the killing. We urge all Member States to join us in returning the UN to its core mission of international peace and security."

Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzya welcomed the shift in Washington’s stance, saying, "We acknowledge the constructive changes in the United States’ position on the Ukrainian conflict."

The unexpected alignment between Washington and Moscow has raised concerns among European leaders. Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group warned that the Security Council could become a platform for the US and Russia to bypass Ukraine’s European allies in future resolutions.

The US shift comes amid growing tensions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump, who has previously referred to Zelensky as a "dictator," has repeatedly questioned continued American military and financial support for Ukraine.

The development has sparked anxiety across Europe, which has relied on US security guarantees for decades. UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated the need for a peace agreement that "fully upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity."