U.S. Votes Against U.N. Resolution Condemning Russia for Ukraine Invasion

What Happened?

In a major reversal from the Biden Administration, the Trump Administration voted against a United Nations resolution condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

Coming on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, the non-binding resolution passed in the United Nations General Assembly, with the U.S. voting alongside North Korea, Iran, and Russia to oppose the measure. 

The U.S. also refrained from voting on its own previous resolution calling for an end to the war after the measure was amended by several European nations. 

Why it Matters

Though the U.N. resolution was symbolic, the change marks a first for the United States since the war in Ukraine began. It’s the first time the U.S. has sided with Russia on a U.N. measure about the origins of the war in Ukraine. 

Which raises the question, is Russia responsible for starting the war? 

There can be no doubt Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and despite initial efforts by the Kremlin to portray the invasion as a “special military operation” the reality of the situation was apparent from the start. 

But the fighting in Ukraine started long before 2022, and those origins must be considered to paint a full and accurate picture of the situation.

The origins of the current conflict can be traced to 2013. After the Ukrainian president at the time Yanukovych canceled a proposed trade deal with the European Union, Ukrainians took to the streets to protest. 

They were upset for a number of reasons, one of which was the 2013 deal would have allowed Ukrainians to travel to the European Union without a visa. That would have allowed many Ukrainians to work in the EU for long time periods, something that is desired by many young Ukrainians. 

After Yanukovych cancelled the trade deal and Ukrainians protested, under orders from Moscow Yanukovych launched a harsh security crackdown in Kiev, which only intensified the protests. 

After the protests escalated Yanukovych fled to Moscow, and in his absence, Ukraine replaced him as president. Moscow declared the new government in Ukraine illegal, and began broadcasting new programs to portray the change as a coup. 

In addition, in many areas to Ukraine’s east where many ethnic Russians live, Moscow also made it clear anyone who stood up against the alleged coup could count on support in the form of weapons and cash. 

Many people in the Donbas region took the hint and declared independence from Ukraine, which Ukrainian forces then moved to stop. That sparked major fighting in Ukraine’s east, which continued to flare on and off for the next nine years. 

Moscow threatened to intervene with the full might of Russia’s military if the situation was not resolved, and in 2022 they made good on that threat.

How it Affects You

Blaming the EU or the United States for the war in Ukraine is simply inconsistent with the facts. 

What started the conflict was a desire by Ukrainians to become a part of the EU economically, and Russia refused to allow that by instructing Ukrainian President Yanukovych to cancel the EU trade deal in 2013. 

That is what set the current conflict in motion.