UN votes on Ukraine: shifting alliances and the Global South’s role

On 24 February 2025, the UN Security Council and General Assembly passed three resolutions on Ukraine, revealing significant fractures in Western unity and a strategic shift in the Global South's approach. While Europe continues to demand Russian accountability and territorial integrity, the Trump administration has pivoted toward de-escalation and negotiations, leading the US to abstain from or oppose resolutions with harsh condemnatory language. Concurrently, Global South nations, including South Africa, India, and Brazil, are increasingly adopting a pragmatic, non-aligned stance that prioritizes diplomatic mediation and national interests over binary confrontations.

• UN voting patterns in 2025 show a marked decline in outright support for Ukraine compared to 2022-2024. A European-backed resolution (L10) received 98 votes in favour, 18 against, and 65 abstentions, whereas previous resolutions typically secured over 140 votes in favour.
• A significant rift has emerged between the US and Europe. The US opposed the European-led resolution (L10) and abstained from its own drafted resolution (L11) after European amendments added references to Russia's "full-scale invasion" and demanded a "just, lasting and comprehensive peace."
• Global South nations are moving away from simple abstentions toward a strategic, pragmatic approach that balances support for sovereignty with a desire for diplomatic mediation. South Africa, India, and Brazil have shown a preference for ambiguous phrasing that avoids polarising language to protect national interests.
• The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2774, one of the first such resolutions approved in years, though it was marked by abstentions from France, the UK, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia, and lacked direct condemnation of Russia.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2025). UN votes on Ukraine: shifting alliances and the Global South’s role. https://saiia.org.za/research/un-votes-on-ukraine-shifting-alliances-and-the-global-souths-role/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. UN votes on Ukraine: shifting alliances and the Global South’s role. 2025. https://saiia.org.za/research/un-votes-on-ukraine-shifting-alliances-and-the-global-souths-role/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=UN votes on Ukraine: shifting alliances and the Global South’s role |date=26 February 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/un-votes-on-ukraine-shifting-alliances-and-the-global-souths-role/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2025votes, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{UN votes on Ukraine: shifting alliances and the Global South’s role}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/un-votes-on-ukraine-shifting-alliances-and-the-global-souths-role/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }