In December 2023, barely an hour after he had been sworn-in as Argentina’s President, Javier Milei stood on the steps of Congress, preparing to deliver a speech to the nation.
As he greeted the politicians and foreign dignitaries that surrounded him, the economist spotted Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader who was making his first trip to Latin America since Russia's invasion of his homeland and the outbreak of war.
With beaming smiles, the duo shared a warm embrace. The message was clear as the two leaders proudly showed off their alignment to the world.
“I was the first to defend Ukraine against Russia; you will always find me on the right side of history,” Milei declared that very same day.
Since then, ties have continued to develop. Zelenskyy and Milei have shared photo-ops and phone calls, in which Argentina’s leader has regularly offered his support. At the 2025 World Economic Forum last month in Davos, Switzerland, they posed side-by-side, thumbs up and smiling.
That close relationship, however, could be heading for a spell on the ropes. A stark shift in Argentina’s foreign policy struck Monday when Milei’s government abstained from supporting a United Nations resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukrainian territory “immediately, completely and unconditionally,” contrary to its previous positions.
The European-backed text ultimately passed, though more than 60 nations abstained. Underlining Washington’s shift under President Donald Trump, the United States was one of 18 countries to vote against the resolution, alongside Belarus, North Korea and Sudan.
What was it that caused Milei to abandon his policy of outright support for Zelenskyy? And is the answer just simply: Trump?
Fierce allegiance
Argentina’s failure to back the resolution has dismayed some in the international community. World leaders have even chimed in, despite Zelenskyy’s silence on the move.
Shortly after the vote, incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Milei "is ruining the country and stomping on the people.”
For political analyst Ignacio Labaqui, the change in stance is yet another reminder of Milei’s fierce allegiance to US President Trump.
Argentina’s position is an “intensive shift from the government’s original stance,” Labaqui, a professor of Latin American studies at the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), added.
That shift has upset some in Milei’s ranks. PRO national deputy Sabrina Ajmechet posted a selfie with Zelenskyy from December 2023 on social media Monday, with a dozen Ukrainian flags included as the caption.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein supported Milei’s U-turn, saying the US is leading a path to peace. In a television interview, he said that Argentina had backed a second Washington-led resolution that focused on ending the conflict.
“The United States resolution says that it calls for an end to this war, in which many people died… Argentina will always be on the side that can participate in a peace process,” the former ambassador to Washington said. “When there are so many deaths and an opportunity to stop it, it must be done. The rest is discussed later.”
History of alignment
Argentina and Ukraine have long shared a relationship of “approachment,” said Andrei Serbin Pont, a geopolitical analyst and the head of the CRIES think-tank.
In June 2024, Milei even attended the Ukraine Peace Summit conference where world leaders called for an immediate end to the Ukraine War. Zelenskyy gifted Milei a medallion symbolic of Ukrainian independence and constitutional freedoms.
Milei, for his part, said both nations are "defenders of freedom," painting Zelenskyy as an ideological ally.
This was followed by a “warm and significant” phone call between the two presidents last December. Zelenskyy thanked the libertarian for his allyship during the war.
“Today, I felt that @JMilei truly wants strength for his country and honesty in international relations,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “I thanked him for supporting Ukraine and invited Argentina to work together with us to restore peace.”
Despite Milei’s constant support of Ukraine, including talks of “potential” military aid in 2024, “Milei's love for Donald Trump and Elon Musk was stronger,” wrote Patricio Giusto in El Liberal this week.
International reputation
In the UN vote, Milei tried to strike a middle ground by honouring his “main priority” of aligning with Trump without entirely betraying Zelenskyy, observed analyst Michael Shifter.
When coupled with Milei’s attempts to exit the World Health Organisation and Paris Accords, the President’s vote has solidified a particular reputation for his country on the global stage.
“I think the perception of Argentina is that it's gonna be very aligned with Trump. Even if that means having an alliance with, you know, an authoritarian, anti-democratic country like Russia,” said Shifter, a senior fellow with the Inter-American Dialogue.
Argentina is now expected to follow the United States, which is no longer considered a reliable or predictable ally, he added.
At a practical level, Milei is seeking Trump’s aid – both at the International Monetary Fund, where Argentina is seeking fresh financing, and on trade benefits.
“While, from an Argentine perspective, it may seem relevant aligning with the US position, the truth is that the US has little to no interest in these debates and in the framework of the United Nations. I would make the calculation that [the vote] is of a higher cost to Argentina than a benefit to its relationship with the US,” offered international analyst Serbin Pont.
More than a tarnished reputation, the vote also risks putting the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands’ sovereignty on the line in future annual UN committee votes.
“Argentina has historically been very careful, technical and confident on how it votes in the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral organisations, in order not to have a stance that will negatively impact its intent and policy towards Malvinas in the multilateral spheres,” Serbin Pont added.
UN resolutions play more of a symbolic role than a practical one, Labaqui reminded. But the outcome of Ukraine’s ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration will have a tangible impact on the fate of Ukraine, as well as Milei’s future approach to Russia and – it seems – other nations.
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