The United States found itself in an unusual voting alliance with Russia against a Ukrainian initiative at the United Nations General Assembly, according to Hvylya, citing an UN General Assembly broadcast reported by RBK-Ukraine.
During the debate on a resolution concerning the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster, the United States unexpectedly joined the list of countries voting against the Ukrainian proposal, taking the same position as Russia.
The UN General Assembly did approve the resolution on expanding international cooperation and mitigating the consequences of the Chornobyl catastrophe. A total of 97 countries voted in favor of the document, which was proposed by Ukraine. However, the list of countries that voted against it unexpectedly included the US, alongside Russia, Belarus, China, North Korea, Nicaragua, and Niger. Another 39 states abstained.
Key Provisions of the Resolution
The resolution reaffirms the long-term nature of the Chornobyl disaster's consequences and the importance of supporting affected regions.
The text expresses alarm over the damage to the new confinement structure on February 14, 2025, caused by a Russian drone strike. This incident, the resolution states, threatened years of international work to ensure the facility's safety.
The document also mandates the use of the Ukrainian spelling Chornobyl in UN documents, including in the name of the International Day of Remembrance on April 26. The General Assembly has scheduled a special session for April 24, 2026, to mark the 40th anniversary of the catastrophe.
US Position Explained
A representative of the American delegation explained that the "no" vote does not signify a change in its approach to Ukraine's nuclear safety issues. She stated the vote was prompted by disagreement with the resolution's references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In her view, these formulations "promote a soft global governance agenda incompatible with US national sovereignty." The diplomat added that the US would nonetheless continue to participate in international projects on nuclear security and countering threats to Ukraine's nuclear power plants.
Ukraine's Reaction
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN called attempts by Belarus to propose its own draft of the text "cynical," pointing to the fact that Belarusian territory was used for the Russian invasion, including the initial seizure of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at the start of the full-scale war. He also emphasized the significance of moving away from the Soviet-era spelling of Chernobyl as part of de-imperialization.
