Samantha Power, who served as the Obama administration's ambassador to the United Nations, has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to follow the Senate's lead and recognize the Armenian Genocide.

"The US Senate just recognized the Armenian Genocide. Donald Trump should now follow suit, on behalf of all the victims and survivors of the genocide and the millions of Armenian-Americans who have fought so hard for this day," Power tweeted.

The Senate passed the resolution on Thursday, December 12.

Sen. Bob Menendez passed the resolution, which provides "official recognition and remembrance" of the Armenian Genocide, by consent.

"We have just passed the Armenian genocide resolution ... and it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian genocide," Menendez said from the Senate floor.

The move comes after three GOP senators previously blocked passage of the resolution amid pressure from the White House, which argued that it would undercut negotiations between Washington and Ankara, which vehemently opposes recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.