US sides Russia against UN vote on Ukraine in a major policy shift; India, China abstains
PTC News Desk: In a significant policy shift, the United States refused to blame Russia and voted against United Nations resolution demanding Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine and condemning the war. Meanwhile India and China abstained from voting.
This was the first time that US voted in sync with Russia since beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war marking a stark shift from its longstanding foreign policy.
It came as the Trump administration has pursued discussions with Moscow about ending the war, with US President Donald Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly with 93 votes in favor. It notes "with concern the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has persisted for three years and continues to have devastating and long-lasting consequences not only for Ukraine but also for other regions and global stability" and "calls for a de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine."
The US ended up abstaining from the vote for its own resolution at the General Assembly after several amendments were passed ahead of the vote to strengthen the language against Russia and reaffirm Ukraine's territorial integrity.
- With inputs from agencies
