The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution initiated by Ukraine on the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The document was supported by 97 countries, including Georgia. Eight countries — among them the United States, Russia and Belarus — voted against, while 39 abstained.

The resolution, titled “Strengthening international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate, and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster,” recognizes the long-term impact of the 1986 accident and underscores the need to support affected communities. It also expresses concern over damage to the protective sarcophagus at the site caused by a Russian drone strike in February 2025, which, according to the text, undermined international efforts to ensure nuclear safety.

The document officially establishes the Ukrainian transliteration of the name in English — Chornobyl instead of Chernobyl.

Explaining the U.S. vote against the resolution, Washington’s representative said the decision was driven not by opposition to nuclear safety measures but by objections to references to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The United States voted against the text because it referenced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agenda promotes a soft framework for global governance that is incompatible with U.S. national sovereignty and contrary to U.S. interests,” the U.S. representative said, stressing that Washington continues to support international nuclear safety standards and efforts to prevent incidents at Ukrainian nuclear facilities during wartime.

Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, sharply criticized Belarus for attempting to introduce an alternative version of the resolution. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the 97 states that backed the document.

“We thank all 97 Member States for their support. Unfortunately, Russia once again tried to use its satellite, Belarus, to hide its crimes and promote an alternative text omitting any reference to its attacks on the Chornobyl facilities. I thank all those who did not stand aside and refused to support the Belarusian draft,” Sybiha said.

The UN General Assembly has adopted an important initiative of Ukraine—the draft resolution on the Chornobyl disaster.

I emphasize that the resolution uses the right spelling — Chornobyl (because this city is located in Ukraine), not the Russian-style “Chernobyl,” as it had been… pic.twitter.com/rFJmuQ93PW

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) December 11, 2025