US sways more countries to oppose UN resolution condemning its Cuba embargo

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly urged an end to the decades-long US economic embargo on Cuba on Wednesday, but a US lobbying push

led several countries to oppose the resolution or abstain for the first time in years.



The results showed 130 nations in favor of the resolution, 25 abstaining and 17 countries, including the US and Israel, voting against. That compared with a tally of 165-7, with 12 abstentions, last year. Several Western countries, including Germany and Italy, abstained for the first time in many years.



The UN vote carries political weight, but only the US Congress can lift the Cold War-era embargo. The 193-member UN General Assembly has adopted the resolution annually for more than three decades — except for 2020 during the COVID pandemic.



"I'm satisfied that so many countries now, including major economies like Korea, like Germany, and others have shifted their position," the US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz told reporters after the vote.