For the first time, Israel supported a pro-Ukrainian UN resolution

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops. The main surprise of the vote was not Kyiv’s victory in the diplomatic arena itself, but a rare divergence in the positions of Jerusalem and Washington: Israel voted in favor, while the United States chose to abstain.

On February 24, the UN General Assembly approved the document proposed by Ukraine with an overwhelming majority of votes (107 for, 12 against, 51 abstained). The resolution calls for the achievement of a “just and lasting peace” based on the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

For Israel, this vote was a confirmation of its updated foreign policy. At the direction of Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the Israeli delegation expressed full support for Kyiv. This step consolidated the “pro-Ukrainian vector” that Saar has been actively promoting since taking office.

Relations between the countries have noticeably warmed over the past year. Last July, Saar visited Kyiv, where he met with President Vladimir Zelensky. The main link was the “Iranian issue”: the parties agreed on a strategic dialogue to counter the Iranian threat. Kyiv, in turn, met Jerusalem halfway by recognizing the IRGC as a terrorist organization and abstaining from voting against Israel in The Hague.

The most unexpected moment was the US decision to abstain. The American delegation explained this not by a change in priorities, but by the features of the current diplomatic strategy of the Donald Trump administration.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is working at the highest levels to bring the parties together to reach a peace agreement,” the US statement said.

Washington fears that the harsh language of the UN resolution could “distract attention from ongoing negotiations” and interfere with sensitive diplomatic work. American diplomats stressed that achieving peace will require “sacrifices and compromises” and called on the international community to tone down the rhetoric. According to the White House, the parties are now “closer to an agreement than at any time since the beginning of the war.”