The Trump administration is facing widespread criticism for aligning with authoritarian regimes—including Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Hungary—by opposing a United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Calling it “a stunning shift from years of US policy,” CNN reported that Monday’s vote by the United States “against the Ukrainian and European-backed resolution saw the US at odds with its longtime European allies and instead aligned with the aggressor in the war on the three-year anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”

The United States put forth a resolution, effectively to counter Ukraine’s but ended up abstaining from voting on it after several amendments strengthening the language against Russia were adopted.

“They added language to the U.S. text that included replacing the wording ‘the Russia-Ukraine conflict’ with ‘the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,'” Voice of America reported. “A paragraph was inserted that said: ‘Reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.’ The paragraph also included language on supporting the U.N. Charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.”

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“Unsurprising but still stunning,” declared The Wall Street Journal’s Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent, Yaroslav Trofimov. “The United States, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, North Korea and Israel vote together against Ukraine at the United Nations. Even Iran and China abstained. (The resolution passed with 93 countries supporting it.)”

Critics of the Trump administration blasted the choice to side with Russia over Ukraine.

“We used to fight the Axis of Evil. Now we’ve joined them,” lamented U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

Alexander Vindman is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served as the Director of European Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC). Before retiring, he cited “a campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation by President Trump and his allies” that “forever limited the progression of my military career.”

“A some point you do have to start to wonder, ‘what’s in it for Trump?'” Vindman asked, while pointing to the scoreboard for the UN resolution titled, “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

“Trump seems totally fine with Russia winning and the U.S. losing,” Vindman continued, “Why is he so hard up to serve Putin?”

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“Republicans y’all gotta start paying attention,” urged Tennessee Senate Democratic Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro. “The United States switched sides & voted with Russia, North Korea, & Belarus at the UN to have Putin’s back. It’s a fucking disgrace. Screw up your courage & stand up for the principles your party had for most of the last century.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Steven Pifer, is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe. In an angry missive he wrote: “US sides with #Russia against #Ukraine. I have practiced or closely followed US foreign policy for more than 45 years. Hard to think of a two-week period over those 45 years during which US policy was more dismaying, embarrassing, appalling and disgusting.” He ended his remarks by “thanking” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“What a disgrace for our nation,” declared Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Independent Veterans of America. “On the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump has put America firmly on the side of the bad guys. With Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Hungary. Americans are embarrassed, our allies are stunned and #OurEnemiesAreCelebrating.”

“Trump does not speak for most Americans on Ukraine with votes like this. Most Americans support Ukraine. And an overwhelming majority of American veterans support Ukraine. Even if our radical and reckless President does not.”

“Donald Trump just betrayed our democratic allies and aligned the United States of America with North Korea, Russia, and Hungary,” wrote U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego  If he wants to “make America great” he can start by keeping us the hell away from these dictatorships. This is atrocious foreign policy and just stupid leadership.

JUST IN:

The UN has adopted Ukraine’s resolution condemning Russian aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Putin’s forces, marking the war’s third anniversary.

The U.S. joined Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and Hungary in opposing the resolution. pic.twitter.com/gvGtCkle2q

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 24, 2025

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The federal government ethics watchdog whose attempted firing by President Donald Trump has been temporarily blocked, has ruled that the firings of some “probationary” federal employees may violate federal law.

“Firing probationary employees without individualized cause appears contrary to a reasonable reading of the law, particularly the provisions establishing rules for reductions in force,” Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent agency of the federal government, said in a statement on Monday.

Pointing to the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, Dellinger said that “the merit system principles have guided how federal government agencies hire, manage, and, if necessary, remove federal employees. These principles establish that all federal employees, including those in a probationary status, should be evaluated based on individual performance.”

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Dellinger’s statement was specific to six employees, but critically, it added that he believes that “other probationary employees are similarly situated,” meaning their firings also would appear contrary to law. The statement did not say how many, but added that “Dellinger is considering ways to seek relief for a broader group without the need for individual filings with OSC.”

On Friday, the Supreme Court “neither granted nor denied an emergency request filed by the Trump administration after lower courts had blocked the effort” to fire Dellinger, in what NBC News described as “an unusual, tentative move.” He currently, and possibly temporarily, remains in his position.

The six employees Dellinger referenced include “a trial attorney with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a benefits analyst at the Office of Personnel Management and a training specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a report by WUSA9‘s Jordan Fischer.

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“Because Congress has directed that OSC ‘shall’ protect government employees from PPPs, I believe I have a responsibility to request a stay of these actions while my agency continues to investigate further the apparent violation of federal personnel laws,” Delligner’s statement also reads.

“Dellinger himself was one of the thousands of federal employees Trump has attempted to fire,” WUSA9 also reported. “Despite being nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a five-year term last year, Dellinger said in a lawsuit that he was informed he was fired in a one-line email earlier this month. A federal judge in D.C. ordered Dellinger temporarily restored to his post while she hears arguments from the Trump administration about the president’s authority to fire him.”

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Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, attempted to deliver a “civics lesson” to U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), but his move quickly backfired, prompting what appears to be a quiet retreat.

Congresswoman Sherrill is an attorney, former federal prosecutor, and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot. She earned her law degree from Georgetown, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and her bachelor’s from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

On Saturday, Sherrill blasted President Donald Trump’s and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s firings of six of the nation’s top military officers, including top JAG lawyers — firings that have been widely condemned.

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For example, President Joe Biden’s Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, called the firings, “foolish and a disgrace,” and added: “What frightens me even more is the removal of three judge advocates general, the most senior uniformed legal authorities in the Defense Department. Their removal is one more element of this administration’s attack on the rule of law, and an especially disturbing part.”

“So much for a ‘meritocracy,'” Sherrill wrote, an apparent reference to Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), during which he vowed his administration would only hire and promote based on merit.

“Last night at the Pentagon, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismantled a core principle of American democracy: the apolitical military,” she wrote, remarks substantiated by experts.

“You don’t rise to our military’s highest positions without decades of leadership and commitment to serving missions across the globe. Four-star General C.Q. Brown has been serving our nation since 1984. Four-star Admiral Lisa Franchetti has been serving since 1985. Both of these individuals earned their barrier-breaking positions because they devoted their lives to taking on our nation’s toughest challenges — and they have the resumes to prove it,” Sherrill explained.

“Yet, Secretary Hegseth called Admiral Franchetti a DEI hire in his book, and criticized General Brown because of his commitment to promoting diversity in our armed forces. This move isn’t about strengthening our armed forces, and it isn’t about merit. It’s about Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump implementing their political agenda,” she continued.

“Additionally, Trump and Hegseth fired the top Judge Advocates General, who are the military’s top lawyers. These are the individuals who interpret law for our commanders, and ensure that we’re fighting in accordance with our values,” Sherrill added. The JAG firings, some experts warn, are the ones that should be of the greatest concern to Americans.

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Explaining how the military’s top brass usually are not replaced by incoming Commanders-in Chief, Sherrill warned: “Trump and Hegseth are trying to gut the military’s leadership so they can use the armed forces to carry out their personal, political agenda. This move will threaten America’s national security, show weakness to dictators worldwide like Vladimir Putin, and give Donald Trump unchecked power to abuse our military.”

She called Hegseth’s firings a “brazen, dangerous abuse of power.”

“In the United States Armed Forces, you swear an oath to the Constitution — not a person, not a political party. It’s an oath I took for the first time at age eighteen when I entered the Naval Academy, and have taken numerous times throughout my career. I will never abandon that oath, and I will always fight to protect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country,” Sherrill vowed.

Miller, who was not named in Sherrill’s remarks, decided to jump in and launch an attack.

“Quick civics lesson: a core principle of American democracy is civilian control of the military,” declared Miller, a former Trump speechwriter.

Sherrill shot back.

“Gee, thanks Stephen. Here’s a civics lesson for you,” she offered.

“10 U.S.C. § 152 lays out the qualifications for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. These guidelines ensure the most experienced, capable officers (like General Brown) are protecting our national security and our country. Ignoring the guidelines and firing JAGs suggests the administration is attempting to build a military of loyalists focused less on our safety and more on loyalty to MAGA and Trump.”

“I know you haven’t served and your experience is mainly in speechwriting, so hopefully this is helpful,” she added.

Miller does not yet seem to have responded over the past 14 hours or so.

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