Trump admin backs Russia in opposing UN resolution blaming Moscow for Ukraine war

The Trump administration voted against a Ukraine-drafted resolution Monday condemning Russia for starting the war against its western neighbor, pitting the US against its European allies.The UN General Assembly still adopted the resolution, which called for Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces” from Ukrainian territory and cease attacks on civilians and facilitate an exchange of prisoners, among other demands.The US was one of 18 nations voting against the resolution, joining Russia, Moscow’s close ally Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republican, North Korea, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Israel, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Nicaragua, Niger, Palau, and Sudan.Another 93 nations voted to approve the resolution, with 65 abstaining.“I would rather not explain it now, but it’s sort of self-evident,” President Trump told reporters when asked about the UN vote in the Oval Office, where he was hosting French President Emmanuel Macron.Washington’s acting ambassador to Turtle Bay, Dorothy Shea, said the global body needed to enact “a simple, historic statement from the General Assembly that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one, simple idea: Ending the war.

A path to peace is possible.”The US followed up the Ukrainian resolution with one of its own, calling for a “swift end to the conflict and … a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”However, the US had to abstain from voting for its own resolution after a pair of amendments drafted by the EU were added to the measure.The first amendment called for “reaffirming … the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.”The second amendment replaced the US call for a “swift end” and “lasting peace” with a demand for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Uk...