White House might not vote against annual U.N. Cuba embargo censure, AP reports

For the 24th year in a row, Havana will introduce a nonbinding measure condemning the U.S. embargo of Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly. Once more, the resolution will be approved by large margins — in 2014, it passed 188 to 2, with only the U.S. and Israel voting against it. This year, the Obama administration is considering abstaining from the vote for the first time, The Associated Press reports, citing unidentified U.S. officials.

The Obama White House has urged Congress to scrap the 54-year-old embargo, given thawing relations with Cuba that publicly began last December (after the last U.N. vote). The Republican-led Congress has balked. And failing to vote against the embargo censure would cause ripples among lawmakers. Still, as of now, the U.S. will more likely vote against the measure once more — a calculus that could change if Cuba significantly modifies its resolution.

"Our vote will ultimately depend on what's in the resolution," one official tells AP. "This resolution is no different than others in the sense that we won't prejudge it before it's final."

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