US Sides With Russia Over UN Resolution on War

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia for the war in Ukraine on Monday, though the US joined Moscow in voting against the measure, reports the Washington Post. Others in the "no" camp included North Korea and Belarus. The final vote on the resolution put forth by Ukraine—which calls for all occupied territory to be returned—was 93-18, with 65 abstentions.

• 2nd resolution: The US attempted to pass a separate resolution calling for an end to the war without blaming Russia, but the assembly added language critical of Moscow, per the AP. That one passed 93-8, with 73 abstentions, including the US once the amended language was added. The resolutions, which come on the three-year anniversary of the war's start, are not legally binding.

• Context: The US-Europe disagreement at the General Assembly "was a remarkable public fissure between Western allies that have typically stood together when it comes to Russia and Europe's security, demonstrating the sharp turn in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump," writes Farnaz Fassihi at the New York Times.
• Contrast: The original US draft resolution acknowledged "the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and "implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia." It did not mention Moscow's invasion. By contrast, the Ukrainian resolution cites "the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation."

(More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)