The Kremlin on Tuesday commended what it described as Washington’s “balanced approach” to the Ukraine conflict after the United States twice aligned with Russia in UN votes marking the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
In a notable policy shift, the US opposed a European-backed resolution at the UN General Assembly on Monday that strongly criticized Russia’s actions and reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The resolution secured 93 votes in favor, 18 against—including the US, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Sudan—while 65 countries abstained.
“The US is now adopting a more balanced stance, which is genuinely aiding efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
“We certainly welcome this and believe that such an approach reflects a genuine willingness to contribute to a settlement,” he added.
The US had initially drafted a resolution amid growing tensions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, after Ukraine’s European allies pushed for amendments explicitly stating that Russia had carried out a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” the US ultimately abstained from voting on its own resolution.
Later, the US submitted its original, unaltered text to the UN Security Council, where it passed with 10 votes in favor, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia abstained.
Peskov contrasted Washington’s position with that of the EU, stating that Europe had yet to demonstrate a similar balance.
“But perhaps, after discussions with the Americans, Europe will shift toward a more balanced approach,” he suggested.
