The UN General Assembly adopted the Support for Lasting Peace in Ukraine resolution with 107 votes on 24 February 2026, marking a significant rebound in international backing after support dropped to 93 a year earlier. Before the vote, the Assembly rejected a US attempt to strip the text of territorial integrity and just peace language, with 69 countries voting the proposal down and only 11 backing it.
Resolution passed 107-12-51
The vote took place during the resumed 11th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly. The resolution passed with 107 votes in favor, 12 against, and 51 abstentions.
- Most European countries backed the document, along with Australia, Israel, Thailand, Mexico, Nigeria, and dozens of others.
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Russia and its allies — Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Burundi, Eritrea, and Sudan — voted against.
- The US, China, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, and Hungary were among those abstained.
The document calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, a full exchange of prisoners of war, and the release of all illegally detained and deported civilians. It is committed to "the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
US tried to gut the resolution — the General Assembly said no
The US delegation proposed removing clauses on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity before the main vote, reported Ukrinform. Deputy US Representative to the UN Tammy Bruce argued the resolution "includes language that is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations, rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues." Only 11 countries supported Washington's proposal, 69 voted against, and 62 abstained.
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa pushed back before the vote. She said that the clauses the US targeted "concern the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, including Ukraine."
Weakening or removing this language would be "a very dangerous signal that these fundamental principles are up for discussion," Betsa warned. She added that the call for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law had been previously supported by more than 141 UN member states.
On the same day, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who presided over the session, urged the US to pay its UN dues in full after Washington transferred only about $160 mn of the more than $4 bn it owes, Reuters reported.
A diplomatic sprint that exceeded expectations
Ukrainian MFA spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi told that Ukraine was not surprised by the US abstention but was pleasantly surprised by the overall count. Five days of intense diplomatic work preceded the vote. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha personally lobbied countries to vote in favor, and Deputy FM Betsa flew to New York for the effort.
"We actually aimed for 90+ votes, so the result would be respectable compared to last year. And we got 107. This is an excellent result and really another victory for Ukrainian diplomacy in the international organizations dimension," Tykhyi said.
Zelenskyy and Sybiha hail the result
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X:
"I am grateful to each of the 107 countries that stood with Ukraine today in defense of life at the [UN]." He noted the resolution includes "clear calls for a full ceasefire and the return of our people."
Sybiha called the adoption "a reaffirmation that Ukraine is not alone — and that the principles of the UN Charter still matter." He thanked his deputy Betsa, Ambassador to the UN Andrii Melnyk, and the MFA team.
US position has shifted steadily since 2022
The US co-sponsored and voted for Ukraine-related UN General Assembly resolutions in March 2022, October 2022, when support peaked at 143 votes, and in February 2023.
Under the Trump administration, Washington voted against Ukraine's resolution in February 2025 alongside Russia, then voted in favor of the children return resolution in December 2025, but abstained again on 24 February 2026.
Meanwhile, US envoy Bruce stated today that the US "believe we are closer to a deal than at any point since this war began."
"Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States continues to devote energy and effort at the highest levels to bring both Russia and Ukraine closer to a negotiated agreement that will finally end the bloodshed and destruction," she said.
