UN Security Council Fails to Renew Western Sahara Mission Mandate Amid US-Russia Standoff

The UN Security Council failed to adopt resolutions to extend the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which expired on October 31, 2026. Russia vetoed a US-backed draft that proposed renaming the mission and removing the explicit reference to a referendum, arguing it would prejudge the territory's future. Russia's alternative resolution also failed, leaving the future of the mission uncertain and highlighting deep divisions within the Council over the long-standing dispute.