At the UN, the US backed Russia’s position — what happened

During the consideration of an important initiative regarding the consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, the United States supported Russia’s position. Accordingly, the US did not support the document initiated by Ukraine.

This became known during the broadcast of the UN General Assembly.

At the UN, the United States sided with Russia

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution on expanding international cooperation and reducing the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster.

The document, initiated by Ukraine, was supported by representatives of 97 states. However, the United States unexpectedly joined the list of countries that voted against it, along with Russia, Belarus, China, North Korea, Nicaragua and Niger. Another 39 delegations chose to abstain.

It is known that this resolution recognizes the long-term consequences of the Chornobyl accident and the need for assistance to the affected territories.

The document expresses concern over the damage to the New Safe Confinement on 14 February 2025 after a Russian drone attack, which jeopardized many years of international efforts to protect the facility.

It also formalizes the official use of the Ukrainian transliteration Chornobyl in UN materials, including the name of the International Remembrance Day on 26 April.

The General Assembly scheduled a special meeting for 24 April 2026, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.

Why the United States supported Russia’s position

A representative of the American delegation explained that the United States voted against the UN General Assembly resolution on addressing the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster because of the reference in the text to the Sustainable Development Goals, which the current US administration opposes.

"The United States voted against the text due to references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related language," the American diplomat stated.

She also added that the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals "promote a soft global-governance agenda that is incompatible with national sovereignty and runs counter to US interests."

At the same time, she emphasized that the United States supports international standards on the safety of nuclear facilities, as well as efforts to prevent nuclear incidents at such facilities in Ukraine "during the Russian-Ukrainian war."

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