The US voted against a resolution on the long-term consequences of the Chornobyl disaster at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, placing Washington in the same camp as Russia, Belarus, China, North Korea, Nicaragua and Niger during a key vote on nuclear safety and international cooperation.
The resolution, aimed at expanding global efforts to mitigate the enduring impact of the 1986 catastrophe, was adopted with support from 97 countries, according to a live UN broadcast. Thirty-nine states abstained, while the US joined Moscow and its allies in opposing the document.
What the resolution says
The text acknowledges the lasting consequences of the Chornobyl disaster and the need for continued assistance to affected regions. It also expresses concern over the damage to the New Safe Confinement on Feb. 14, 2025, caused by a Russian drone strike – an attack that put decades of international protective efforts at risk.
The resolution further formalizes the use of the Ukrainian transliteration “Chornobyl” in all UN materials, including the official name of the International Day of Remembrance on April 26. It also schedules a special General Assembly session for April 24, 2026, marking the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.
Why the US voted against it
A representative of the US delegation said Washington’s opposition was not related to its stance on Ukraine or nuclear safety, but to the resolution’s references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Those provisions, the diplomat said, advance a soft global governance agenda that is incompatible with US national sovereignty. She added that the US will continue supporting international nuclear safety initiatives and efforts to prevent incidents at Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
Ukraine’s reaction
Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN criticized Belarus for proposing an alternative text, calling it “cynical” given Minsk’s role in enabling Russia’s full-scale invasion, including the seizure of the Chornobyl site in the first days of the war.
He also underscored the importance of abandoning the Soviet-era transliteration “Chernobyl,” describing the shift to “Chornobyl” as a rejection of imperial legacies and a reaffirmation of Ukraine’s identity.