U.S. in standoff with Ukraine and Europe over competing U.N. resolutions about Russia-Ukraine war

The United States on Monday opposed a United Nations resolution backed by Ukraine and major European countries that calls for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, voting instead with Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan and 13 other countries.

Leading up to a series of votes Monday, the U.S. had been lobbying countries around the world to oppose the resolution, which was brought forward at the United Nations General Assembly on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and support a U.S. draft resolution instead.

Ultimately, though, the Trump administration was forced to abstain from its own resolution after European countries won support for three amendments to it.

The amendments replaced language referring to “the Russian Federation-Ukraine conflict” with “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation”; added a commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders; and expanded wording about a “lasting peace” between Ukraine and Russia to a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace,” “in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States.”

“These amendments pursue a war of words rather than an end to the war,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said shortly before the vote. “The attempt to add this language detracts from what we are trying to achieve with this forward-looking resolution, a firm consensus from the members of this body to unite behind a resolution calling for the end to this conflict.”

Despite the lack of U.S. support, the U.S. resolution with the new language was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly with 93 votes in favor, eight against and 73 abstentions.

Ukraine’s competing resolution co-sponsored by European countries also passed despite active U.S. opposition with 93 votes in favor, 18 against and 65 abstentions. 

Ukraine’s resolution, which it put forward last week, demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces “from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” The U.S. does not support that demand and Trump administration officials have recently suggested that Ukraine would likely have to give up some territory as part of a peace deal. 

Ukraine’s resolution also refers to the ongoing hostilities as a “war,” a word that is omitted from the text of the U.S. resolution, and which Russia has stayed away from since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

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“President Trump is committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and to a resolution that leads to a lasting peace, not just a temporary pause,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Friday. “The United States has proposed a simple, historic resolution in the United Nations that we urge all member states to support in order to chart a path to peace.”

An internal memo sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts Saturday had instructed the head of each U.S. mission to “engage host governments at the highest possible levels,” and urge them to support the U.S. resolution and encourage Ukraine to withdraw its own resolution, “which does not advance the United States’ goal of achieving a lasting peace.”

The U.S. will once again ask the world to support its resolution Monday afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, where it will be able to veto any amendments to its language brought forward by other members.

The memo was first reported by Reuters.

U.S. diplomats were also told to ask countries to vote against a proposed Russian amendment to the U.S. resolution, according to the diplomatic note seen by NBC News. The Russian amendment would add language saying that the “root causes” of the conflict should also be addressed.