Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Ukraine did not support the UN resolution and warned that such a map could open Pandora's box.
Ukraine refused to support the UN resolution on the new world map. The reason was the cartographic projection 'Rivna Zemlya' ('Flat Earth'), which depicts temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories in an unacceptable way.
This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing explanations from the Ukrainian delegation to the UN and a post by MP Kyra Rudyk.
Why Ukraine is against it
As explained by the Ukrainian delegation, Ukraine fundamentally does not object to the main idea of the resolution—the more accurate and scientifically grounded depiction of the sizes of continents, in particular Africa and other regions of the Global South. The problem is the specific projection 'Flat Earth' mentioned in the text.
According to the delegation, this projection depicts areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia in a way that violates the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also noted that it contradicts all UN General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine's territorial integrity and non-recognition of Crimea's annexation attempt.
According to the Ukrainian side, Kyiv tried to reach a compromise formulation with the resolution's authors, but was unsuccessful.
What this threatens
In the Ukrainian delegation, it was warned that attempts to correct historical injustices in the depiction of continents should not create new problems. According to them, ambiguous wording of the text could open Pandora's box—effectively contributing to distortions of the political map of the world.
That is why Kyiv urged other delegations to take this issue seriously and consider the risks when voting.
Reaction of deputies
The situation was sharply reacted to by People's Deputy Kyra Rudyk.
“Ukraine could not support the UN resolution on the new world map because it depicts occupied Crimea in a way that separates it from Ukraine. In 2026 year the UN should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine,” she wrote.
Recall that the UN General Assembly supported the African countries' initiative for a more accurate representation of the sizes of continents on world maps.
This concerns the rejection of the traditional Mercator projection, created back in 1569 year, which significantly distorts the ratio of areas of territories—visually reducing Africa.
Advocates of the initiative emphasize that the problem goes beyond cartography, as the habitual underestimation of Africa influenced the perception of the continent's significance. At the same time, the new projection was opposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Нова карта світу від недалеких ООНівських чинуш «відрізала» Крим від України". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: CRIMINAL UKRAINE.
