‘Strange & melodramatic’: Russia’s UN rep. reacts to Ukraine PM speech

Russia’s ambassador to the UN used the word “strange” to describe a speech given by the Ukrainian prime minister at the General Assembly.

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Most of Arseny Yatsenyuk’s speech, which came last at the first day of UNGA debates, was devoted to criticizing Russia.

Yatsenyuk has urged the General Assembly participants not to lift sanctions imposed on Russia until Kiev regains control over the whole of the Ukrainian territory.

He said that the Russian president has a goal of restoring the Soviet Union and also addressed Vladimir Putin directly.

“Mr. Putin, you can win a battle against the troops, but you will never defeat the people – united Ukrainian nation,” the PM said.

Churkin was puzzled by that.

“It’s strange that his speech ended up in a melodramatic call to the Russian president,” he said.

“Yatsenyuk has likely forgotten that the president of Ukraine is Petro Poroshenko, who has long been in an intensive dialogue with President Putin,” Churkin said. “The dialogue has made possible the recent agreements which as we hope are opening the gate to settling the prolonged crisis in Ukraine.”

Russian and Ukrainian presidents talked to each other on the phone a number of times over the last two months. In early September, Kiev and self-defense forces brokered a ceasefire, following which extensive fighting stopped and the sides began exchanging prisoners.

“It’s strange that Ukraine’s PM, instead of solving the multiple problems of his country, which is nearing economic collapse, has come to New York to speak in front of a half-empty General Assembly room,” Churkin told journalists.