Crisis Group: West divided on Ukraine resolution at UN, echoing Iraq war split

The vote on a US-backed resolution on the Ukraine conflict has exposed the deepest divide among Western nations in the UN since the Iraq War, says Richard Gowan, Director at the International Crisis Group.

Gowan described the disagreement as "the largest split among Western powers in the United Nations since the Iraq War – and perhaps even more fundamental," Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

This sharp rift echoes the divisions seen in 2003, when the US-led coalition launched a controversial invasion of Iraq, citing the need to search for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), despite opposition from many nations.

Critics argued that the US had failed to substantiate its claims and was primarily motivated by the desire to control Iraqi oil. Subsequent investigations by UN inspectors and the US military concluded that Iraq did not possess WMDs and had no links to the Al-Qaeda terrorist group, as had been claimed by Washington.

As a reminder, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has rejected a US-backed resolution calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, citing its failure to mention Russian aggression. In a significant victory for Ukraine, the assembly instead adopted a European-sponsored resolution demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukrainian territories.

The US had tried to persuade Kyiv to support its proposal, but Ukraine refused, pushing forward with a revised version of the US resolution, which included language explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion.

The European-backed resolution passed with 93 votes in favour, 8 against, and 73 abstentions. A separate Ukraine-European proposal also received 93 votes in favour, with 18 no votes and 65 abstentions. The resolutions reflected a decline in international support for Ukraine compared to earlier UNGA votes, which had seen overwhelming support.

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mariana Betsa, reaffirmed the country's right to self-defence. Meanwhile, US envoy Dorothy Shea stressed the need for a resolution that could lead to a durable peace, acknowledging that previous efforts had failed to stop the conflict.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have escalated, with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanging harsh words. Trump has criticised Zelenskyy, accusing him of leading a “dictatorship,” while the US administration has continued to push for a resolution at the UN Security Council, where resolutions are legally binding.

The UN Security Council approved a resolution calling for the end of the war, though without the European amendments. The resolution passed with 10 votes in favour and five abstentions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev