Australia stands with Ukraine in UN vote as Donald Trump sides with Russia

Australia has defied Donald Trump’s portrayal of Ukraine as the aggressor in its war with Russia, breaking with the US in the United Nations.

US ambassador Dorothy Camille Shea votes with Russia in the UN Security Council. Picture: AP

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The Albanese government has defied Donald Trump’s portrayal of Ukraine as the aggressor in its war with Russia as the US sided with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un to reject a UN resolution blaming Moscow for the conflict.

The US stunned friend and foe alike with its decision to vote with its longtime adversaries rather than condemn Russia in the UN for its invasion of its neighbour three years ago.

Australia was among 93 countries to support the pro-Ukraine resolution in the UN General Assembly, as Anthony Albanese cast the war as a fight between good and evil.

“We regard the struggle of the people of Ukraine as being a struggle between a country ­defending its sovereignty, defending its borders, defending the rule of law, a democracy in Ukraine, versus an authoritarian regime that has breached international law, that has engaged in barbaric activity and attacks against infrastructure and civilians in Ukraine,” the Prime Minister said.

His comment came as some Australian analysts and commentators expressed disbelief at the Trump administration’s decision to vote with Russia and North Korea in the General ­Assembly and water down a similar motion in the Security Council to remove any condemnation of Moscow.

“The US administration has got this terribly wrong and doubles down on the mistakes last week in blaming Ukraine for the war,” Australian Strategic Policy Institute director Justin Bassi said. “The idea that Ukraine is not only fighting for itself but for all of us has been turned on its head. That is both wrong and sad.”

Former foreign minister Bob Carr said the “breathtaking” UN vote confirmed Mr Trump’s “readiness to use power with utter recklessness”.

“America has turned its back on the notion of rules, any rules, that govern the relations ­between nations,” he said. “It’s treated with contempt the most important post-war American achievement in the area of statecraft, namely, America’s international alliance system.

“It’s impossible to see America changing direction after this, because any ally or partner would have to calculate that America could change overnight, anytime in the future.

“And it’s impossible to see the Democrats being able to mobilise a ­return to a liberal internationalism.”

But, as Mr Trump signalled he was prepared to negotiate an economic development deal with Russia, former Home ­Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said the US was “playing out a geopolitical strategy on a different board”.

“It is not concerned with UN votes. It is trying to leverage as much pressure as it can, such that the Europeans are compelled to take over responsibility for Ukraine’s long-term security,” Mr Pezzullo said.

“If the United States can achieve this, and at the same time reach an economic agreement with Ukraine in ­relation to critical minerals, Ukraine will have the benefit of European and US protection, which has been its long-term goal.”