Moroccan Sahara: Russia Vetoes US Resolution at the UN

Friday 30 October 2026 - 20:53

The American resolution on the Sahara did not receive the approval of the United Nations Security Council. Meeting on Friday, October 30, in New York, the UN body saw the text rejected following Russia's negative vote, a permanent member with veto power. This decision comes just before the expiration of the mandate of the UN mission responsible for the issue.

Eleven Votes in Favor, but a Russian Veto

The vote concluded with eleven votes in favor of the project, three abstentions, and one vote against. Russia's vote was sufficient to prevent the adoption of the text, despite the support of the majority of Council members.

The presidency of the Security Council, held in October by Greece, noted the rejection of the project presented by Washington. As a permanent member, Moscow has a veto power that allows it to block the adoption of a substantive resolution, even when it receives a majority of favorable votes.

Washington Failed to Secure a Compromise

The United States, tasked with drafting the resolution on this issue, had revised the text several times in an attempt to rally Council members and avoid a deadlock.

The result represents a diplomatic setback for Washington. It also marks a shift from the vote that took place a year earlier, when resolution 2797 was adopted with eleven votes in favor and three abstentions, those of Russia, China, and Pakistan.

This time, Moscow chose to vote against the text rather than abstaining, thus preventing its adoption.

Algeria Attends the Session Without Voting Rights

Algeria, which has not been sitting on the Security Council since January, was invited to participate in the session. However, its presence did not grant it any voting rights.

The rejection of the American project occurs within an important diplomatic sequence for the Sahara issue, just before the expiration of the UN mission's mandate. The Russian veto prevents the adoption of the text proposed by Washington and opens a new phase of uncertainty around discussions in the Security Council.