US Declines to Join Anti-Russian Statement on Ukraine at UN

The United States chose not to join a joint statement critical of Russia's actions in Ukraine that was delivered at the United Nations, according to reporting on the proceedings. The statement was read out by European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga.

Joint statements of this kind are typically used by groups of countries at the UN to express a shared position on a given issue, with the list of signatories serving as an indicator of diplomatic alignment. Washington's decision not to add its name to this particular statement was noted as a departure from the position taken by many of its European allies.

The development comes amid continued discussion at the UN General Assembly this week over the war in Ukraine, with various governments using the platform to stake out positions on the conflict and on prospects for a negotiated resolution.

No immediate public explanation for the decision not to join the statement was reported, leaving open questions about how it fits into the broader trajectory of the current US approach to the war.