For the first time, the U.S. did not support a WTO statement condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine

The United States has not supported a statement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This information Reuters reports, citing diplomatic sources.

According to the publication, the statement explicitly “condemns Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.”

“For the first time, the U.S. did not support a statement that has been issued annually since February 2022… This is another indication of closer ties with Russia,” the agency noted.

More than 40 WTO members, including the European Union, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, backed the statement.

Previously, the U.S. blocked similar statements in the United Nations General Assembly and the G7, arguing that such declarations could jeopardize negotiations with Russia for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.

Notably, on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the UN Security Council adopted a neutral resolution without explicitly condemning Moscow’s actions. Ten countries supported this version—including the U.S., China, Russia, Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia—while five abstained (the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Slovenia, and Denmark).