India abstained on several resolutions and amendments on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly where a dramatic departure saw the US diverge from its Western friends and join with Russia on certain issues, heralding shifting international dynamics under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
As the world celebrated the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Western powers managed to force through two resolutions labeling Moscow as the aggressor. In a surprising turn of events, the US, however, aligned with Russia to oppose a resolution sponsored by Ukraine and its Western allies condemning the invasion. China too decided to abstain from the vote.
The resolution was adopted with 93 votes for, 18 against, and 65 abstentions—a significant decline in backing compared to a comparable resolution in 2023, which had secured 141 votes. India, as it had done before, abstained again.
A resolution initially supported by Washington, which did not mention Russia by name as the invader, was subsequently amended under pressure from Western countries, spearheaded by France's Permanent Representative Nicolas De Riviere, to specifically brand Moscow as the aggressor. The amendment was tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron came to Washington for talks with Trump. Not pleased with this development, the US eventually abstained from voting on its own motion after amendments were included.
With Washington engaged in active diplomatic discussions with Moscow to reach a possible peace agreement, US officials saw the outright criticism of Russia as going against the ongoing efforts. Trump had recently spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US officials had discussed things with Russian leaders in Riyadh in order to investigate possible ways of stopping the war, which started on February 24, 2022, resulting in mass destruction in Ukraine and massive implications for Russia.
Backing the move to abstain from blaming Russia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio termed the resolution a "historic step" aimed at "paving the way for peace." Acting US Permanent Representative Dorothy Shea made the same point at the General Assembly, contending that earlier resolutions calling out Moscow had "failed to bring an end to the war." She emphasized that the US draft was about "looking ahead, not back," referring to the vote as a "moment of truth—one of historic magnitude." Shea went on to say, "This has never been about Ukraine," adding that the resolution was intended to address the global implications of the war beyond Ukraine.
Simultaneously, Russia-supported amendments to Ukraine's motion, which wanted to mention the "root causes" of the conflict, were resoundingly defeated. They mustered merely 31 "yes" votes, 71 "no," and 59 abstentions, including from America. In contrast, the France-sponsored amendments referencing the UN Charter and condemning outright Russia's aggression were adopted by a vote notwithstanding Washington and Moscow's opposition.
