Moscow, 3 November 2026 (SPS) – The Russian Foreign Ministry has held the United States and countries supporting its position fully responsible for the Security Council's failure to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on 30 October.
In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said the US-sponsored draft resolution contained provisions seeking to impose a single option for settling the Western Sahara conflict, thereby denying the Sahrawi people their right to self-determination.
Moscow clarified that it voted against the US draft because of provisions it considered unacceptable, stressing that imposing a predetermined settlement contradicts the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. It reaffirmed its rejection of externally imposed solutions and called for negotiations leading to a mutually acceptable agreement in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed disappointment with Washington's approach, considering that its role as the penholder on Western Sahara required it to act as an impartial mediator rather than advance its national position.
Russia further recalled that it had submitted an alternative draft resolution proposing a one-year extension of MINURSO's mandate without changing its tasks or the established parameters for a settlement. The proposal received support from China and Somalia but was vetoed by the United States, while the remaining Council members abstained.
Moscow concluded by holding Washington and the countries backing its position responsible for the end of the UN mission's presence in Western Sahara, which it said had contributed to maintaining regional stability for years.
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