Ukraine abstained during a United Nations vote on the adoption of the Equal Earth world map projection after the depiction showed the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula separated from the rest of Ukrainian territory, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN announced. The Equal Earth map depicts Crimea in a distinctly lighter shade than mainland Ukraine, while also distinguishing it from the color used for Russia. Other sovereign territories subject to Russian occupation – such as regions within Georgia and Moldova – did not receive distinct cartographic demarcations on the map.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik stated that the altered depiction directly drove Ukraine’s decision to abstain from the resolution, which was initiated by the West African nation of Togo. “In 2026, the UN should not need a reminder: Crimea is Ukraine. Shame,” Rudik wrote. The Equal Earth cartographic projection. (Equal Earth / AFP) In an official statement, Ukraine’s Permanent Mission emphasized that while Kyiv supports efforts to eliminate historical distortions concerning the relative scale of continents – particularly across Africa and the Global South – the cartographic representation of occupied Ukrainian territory constitutes an unacceptable violation of the UN Charter and international law. Ukrainian diplomats noted that prior negotiations with the draft resolution’s sponsors failed to produce a compromise text.