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.