What did Donald Trump do today?

He switched sides in the middle of a war.

Today, the United Nations voted to condemn Russia's unlawful invasion of eastern Ukraine. It is the third anniversary of the start of the Putin regime's latest attempt to re-annex Ukraine, which had formerly been a part of the Soviet Union, and in recent years had been under the control of a Russian-dominated puppet government.

On Trump's instructions, the United States voted against the resolution, which passed.

Trump was impeached during his first term after trying to blackmail Ukraine into manufacturing a scandal about his 2020 rival Joe Biden. He sought and received help from Russia during the 2016 election. Since taking office again, he has been openly allying himself with Russia. Trump has personally (and falsely) attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "dictator," and pressured Ukraine to settle on terms favorable to Russia. Trump even accused Ukraine of starting the war, which is a bit like saying the United States attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor. 

The United States was joined in its "no" vote by Russia, as well as authoritarian-led countries in Russia's sphere of influence like Belarus, Sudan, and North Korea.

Pushback was swift from Democrats, but also from Republicans—most of whom do not share Trump's personal loyalty to the Putin regime. For example, Ohio Governor Mike Dewine, a staunch conservative who endorsed Trump, pointedly signed a proclamation acknowledging Russia's role as the aggressor and posted it on social media.

Trump's stance means that, for practical purposes, the American government has switched its allegiance from one side of a war to the other—the first time the United States has ever done this.

Why does this matter?

• It's not right to abandon allies, and it's not good for national security, either.

• There is no reason to think Donald Trump feels free to act in the country's best interests where Russia is concerned.