US abstains from UN vote on 'lasting peace in Ukraine' on 4th anniversary of war
The United States declined to support a U.N. General Assembly resolution supporting "lasting peace in Ukraine" on Feb. 24, choosing to abstain from the vote on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The resolution, proposed by Ukraine, calls for "an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire" and "a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law." It also reaffirms the "sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
The resolution passed with 107 votes during an emergency session of the U.N. General Assembly, convened on the occasion of the four-year anniversary of the war. The U.S. was one of 51 countries, including China and India, to abstain. Twelve countries — including Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Iran — voted against the resolution.
Keith Kellogg, former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, lambasted Washington for not supporting the resolution in a post on X.
"A U.N. vote on a lasting peace in Ukraine and we abstained. Go figure," he wrote.
"The Russian Federation was against the proclamation. Is not four years of war enough? Is not missing children, shelling of cities, and the killing of innocents enough? It is not a business deal — it is war."
Kellogg, a respected figure in Kyiv who repeatedly condemned Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities, stepped down from his position in the Trump administration at the end of 2025.
In remarks delivered to the General Assembly, Tammy Bruce, U.S. deputy representative to the U.N., said Washington supported calls for a ceasefire but believed the language in the resolution could "distract" from ongoing peace talks.
"The United States welcomes, of course, the call for an immediate ceasefire," Bruce said.
"As we've said, this resolution also includes language that is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations, rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace. For this reason, the United States ... ultimately chose to abstain on the resolution."
This is the second year in a row that the U.S. has broken ranks with its traditional allies on U.N. resolutions regarding Russia's war against Ukraine. On Feb. 24, 2025 — the third anniversary of the invasion and the first year of U.S. President Donald Trump's new term — the U.S. joined Russia, Belarus, Hungary, and Israel in voting against a resolution that affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity and explictly condemned Russia as the aggressor.
The 2026 resolution does not include language condemning Russia and welcomes U.S. efforts to broker a peace agreement. The U.S. took issue with the paragraphs addressing Ukraine's territorial integrity and the need for a just peace.
Ukraine's territorial integrity has become the focal point of the ongoing negotiations, with Moscow demanding Kyiv yield land it still controls as the price of peace. Ukraine has said it will not give up its own territory to Russia and supports freezing the current front line as the basis for a ceasefire.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the U.N. member states that supported the resolution for a just peace in a social media post after the vote.
"For us, this is not just another vote. It is a reaffirmation that Ukraine is not alone — and that the principles of the U.N. Charter still matter," he said.
"We thank all 107 member states who supported this clear message. We will continue to act — firmly and consistently — to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with the U.N. Charter and international law."
