Overview
- The resolution passed 165-7 with 12 abstentions, with the United States, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Ukraine voting against.
- Kyiv opposed the measure for the first time, and its UN envoy said Cuba has not stopped recruitment of its citizens to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
- Washington intensified outreach before the vote, and U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz called the annual resolution “political theater” and urged countries to stop endorsing Cuba’s position.
- Cuba condemned U.S. pressure and said sanctions caused more than $7.5 billion in losses from March 2024 to February 2025, highlighting humanitarian strain during ongoing crises.
- The measure is non-binding and reiterates longstanding calls to lift the embargo, marking a shift from 2024 when the tally was 187-2 with far fewer dissenting votes.