On February 24, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Georgiy Tikhiy, announced that the United States’ abstention from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution supporting lasting peace in Ukraine was not unexpected.
Tikhiy referenced last year’s voting patterns, highlighting the dual resolutions presented by Ukraine and the US. Despite the US’s abstention, he expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that 107 countries voted in favor of the resolution.
He credited this success to five days of intensive diplomatic efforts, which involved the Ukrainian mission to the UN and various diplomatic posts abroad. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga personally engaged with nations to secure their votes, while Deputy Minister Maryana Betza traveled to New York to advocate for the resolution.
Initially, Ukrainian diplomats aimed for over 90 votes to achieve a respectable outcome compared to the previous year, but they surpassed expectations with 107 votes. Tikhiy described this as a significant victory for Ukrainian diplomacy within international organizations.
During the voting process, 51 countries, including the US, chose to abstain. The US had proposed separate voting on two points of the resolution, but this suggestion was rejected with 69 votes against and 11 in favor.
Countries that voted against the resolution included Russia, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, and Sudan.
Minister Sybiga welcomed the resolution’s passage, asserting that it reaffirmed the ongoing relevance of the principles of the UN Charter. The General Assembly also acknowledged the efforts of the US, European nations, and other member states aimed at ending the conflict.
Ukraine's recent diplomatic efforts culminated in a successful vote at the UN General Assembly, despite the US abstaining. With 107 votes in favor, Ukrainian officials celebrated this as a significant achievement for their international standing.