Putin stipulated Tuesday that Russia reserves the right to use military intervention in Ukraine for a humanitarian mission, calling Ukraine’s recent political moves illegitimate.
Putin Retains Right to Military in Ukraine as U.S. Pledges $1B
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power late Monday blasted the Russian incursion into Ukraine, citing the seizure of border posts, its navy surrounding key ports in Crimea and its air force entering Ukrainian airspace.
“Russian military action is not a human rights protection mission,” she said. “It is a violation of international law and a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the independent nation of Ukraine.”
She announced the deployment of advisers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who will monitor the ongoing situation in Ukraine to appraise stability on the ground.
The leadership in Moscow may well be unhappy about former President Yanukovych’s decision to flee Ukraine and move in with them. Russia may be displeased with the new government, which was approved by Ukraine’s parliament by an overwhelming majority, including members of Yanukovych’s own party,” Power said. “Russia has every right to wish that events in Ukraine had turned out differently, but it does not have the right to express that unhappiness by using military force or by trying to convince the world community that up is down and black is white.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kiev on Tuesday to show support for the new leadership. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk late Monday to discuss “ongoing diplomatic efforts” to support stability in Ukraine, according to a readout of their phone conversation.
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