Europe Caught Off Guard as US Aligns with Russia at UN

European leaders were stunned as the US unexpectedly sided with Russia on a key UN resolution. Read more on the geopolitical shift and its implications.

A day of intense diplomacy at the United Nations revealed increasing fractures in the transatlantic alliance following President Donald Trump’s reemergence on the global stage and his significant shift in U.S. foreign policy.

When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, Europe found its strongest ally in the United States.

However, this week within the General Assembly and at the Security Council, the US opposed its closest allies by aligning with Russia, Belarus, and North Korea to approve resolutions concerning the conflict in Ukraine.

To commemorate the third anniversary of Moscow’s invasion, Ukraine pursued a symbolic resolution from the General Assembly. This initiative aimed to have the 193-member body reaffirm Kyiv’s territorial integrity and urge Russia to withdraw its forces in accordance with the UN charter.

The resolution was approved on Monday, but it received less support compared to previous years. Numerous members chose to abstain in order to steer clear of a delicate situation caused by the US.

Washington’s diplomats had encouraged other countries to oppose the measure and instead back their “forward-looking resolution,” which comprised just three brief paragraphs. This proposal adopted a neutral position on the war, refraining from blaming Russia, and called for a swift conclusion with enduring peace thereafter.

Washington introduced their measure not only in the General Assembly, where each nation has an equal vote, but also in the more influential Security Council. Resolutions passed there are legally binding—albeit often difficult to enforce—and no council action on Ukraine had occurred previously due to Russia’s veto power as a permanent member.

The decision surprised Europe, with one European diplomat expressing to the BBC that the U.S. acted in a domineering manner and overlooked Europe’s position on its own security concerns.

Slovenia’s ambassador, Samuel Zbogar, a member of the Security Council, informed the BBC that Europe is having difficulty adapting to both the complete reversal in U.S. policy and how quickly Washington is implementing these changes.

He mentioned that the European Union will have some reflecting to do at the council meeting scheduled for next week.

He told the BBC, “Leaders need to create a plan for how the EU can proactively engage in establishing peace instead of merely responding to others’ actions. It’s now Europe’s responsibility to take initiative.”

The halls of the UN headquarters in New York were filled with reactions as European leaders sought to come to terms with the latest stance from the US.