Trump breaks from allies with extraordinary move to deflect Ukraine blame from Russia

President Donald Trump deepened Washington’s split with allies over Ukraine, withdrawing U.S. condemnation of Russia’s 2022 invasion at the United Nations and among Group of Seven countries as he aims to end the war on terms agreeable to Moscow.

In New York on Monday, the U.S. and Russia both voted against an European-backed resolution in the U.N. General Assembly that calls out Moscow’s “full-scale invasion” exactly three years ago. The two sides later aligned for the first time since the war started in the Security Council to approve a U.S. resolution calling for a “swift end” to the conflict without assigning blame, a stark reversal from policy under President Joe Biden.

That comes as the G-7 also struggled to issue a joint statement on the anniversary of the war, after the U.S. opposed phrasing condemning Moscow that echoed previous language from the group, according to people familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, Trump on Monday appeared to speed ahead with his plans to end the war without input from European nations or Ukraine, saying on social media that he’s in “serious discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said at the White House that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may travel to Washington as soon as this week to sign a deal over natural resources, which Trump has signaled is necessary to end the war and repay the U.S. for its support.

The public debate at the U.N. and private deliberations among the G-7 highlight the clear break of U.S. policy toward the worst conflict in Europe since World War II, with the Trump administration further distancing itself from allies on the continent and, to their alarm, appearing to align closer with Moscow. The White House has been more agreeable to policies pursued by Putin, including barring Ukraine from NATO membership and retaining territory captured during the war.

“I would rather not explain it now but it’s sort of self-evident,” Trump said at the White House, when asked to explain the rationale behind the U.S. vote on the U.N. resolutions. He added that he wanted to discuss a separate resource deal with Russia as well, and signaled support for European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of an agreement to the end war.

Trump was speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who traveled to Washington in an effort to secure a role for Europe in the peace talks and reinforce the region’s commitment to increase defense spending, a message expected to be reinforced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s own visit Thursday.

In a joint press briefing Monday from the White House, Macron repeatedly described his talks with Trump as a “turning point” and said Europe would be willing to send in peacekeepers to Ukraine “after we’ve negotiated a lasting peace.” Trump, however, didn’t comment on any role for Europe in the talks with Russia or U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv said are crucial to a long-term agreement.

The contrast between Washington and its allies was further reinforced Monday as several European leaders and the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, visited Kyiv in a show of support on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said earlier in the day that the Trump administration is falling for Russia’s narrative in its escalating criticism of Ukraine.

In Russia, Putin offered to let U.S. investors help develop mineral resources in Russia and parts of Ukraine it occupies, as well as being open to sell up to 2 million tons of aluminum to the U.S. if sanctions are lifted. In comments to state television, he also welcomed Trump’s proposal for talks on a 50% cut in defense spending, which he called a “good idea.”

At the U.N., the European-backed resolution at the General Assembly passed with 93 votes for and 18 against, with 65 abstentions. Belarus and North Korea were among those who voted against it along with the U.S. and Russia. A separate U.S. resolution was also adopted by the assembly but only after it was amended to blame Russia for the war, which led the U.S. to abstain from voting for its own measure.

The U.S. also submitted its resolution to the Security Council, which passed with support of both Russia and China, an extraordinary shift in alliances after the permanent members of the council have blocked or vetoed earlier resolutions related to the war. Security Council resolutions are binding on all members, while General Assembly resolutions are not.

“This resolution puts us on the path to peace — it is a first step, but a crucial one,” said acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothea Shea, adding that it was the first time the Security Council passed a resolution on the topic since the war started. France and the UK, which are also permanent members, abstained.

The Trump administration had earlier lobbied countries at the U.N. to block the Ukrainian-backed resolution that condemned Russia for its war of aggression and wanted them to instead back the U.S. text, Bloomberg previously reported.

G-7 diplomats had tried since last week to find a compromise for a joint statement, said the people familiar with the issue, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The U.S. threatened to pull support for a statement altogether, said the people, and also disagreed with threatening more energy sanctions to compel Moscow to negotiate a lasting peace. The leaders held a call on the issue Monday.

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(With assistance from Kate Sullivan, Aliaksandr Kudrytski and Donato Paolo Mancini.)

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