Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The United Nations unanimously condemned the United States embargo on Cuba Wednesday — and for the first time, the United States did not object.

The extraordinary turnabout came as Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, told the General Assembly that the United States would abstain on the resolution. Similar resolutions have been adopted by every General Assembly for decades over U.S. protests, including one as recent as a year ago.

"The resolution is an excellent example of why the U.S. policy of isolation toward Cuba didn’t work," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. "It served to isolate the United States, not Cuba. And it certainly didn’t have the desired effect of applying more pressure to Cuba, particularly with regard to human rights."

The symbolic non-vote on a non-binding resolution was the latest move by the President Obama to dismantle the 56-year-old embargo — and make it even more difficult for his successors to put it back together. The Obama administration has lifted restrictions on travel, rum and cigars, but Congress still prohibits direct U.S. investment on the island — a law Obama has called on Congress to repeal.

Obama lifts restrictions on Cuban rum, cigars

"The United States and Cuba must continue to find ways to engage, even as our differences persist," Power told the General Assembly. "Today, we will take another small step to be able to do that. May there be many, many more – including, we hope, finally ending the U.S. embargo once and for all."

With the U.S. dropping its objection, ally Israel — the only other country to support the United States on the issue in the past — also abstained. But the administration was also quick to note that the abstention did not signal support for the actions of the Cuban regime.

Still, Republicans said it was the duty of the administration to defend U.S. law.

"It is shameful for the Obama administration to refuse to abide by existing U.S. law and to dismiss the will of the American people, as expressed through their elected representatives of Congress, in an international forum that often gives voice and legitimacy to America’s adversaries," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a frequent Obama critic on Cuba policy.