Nikki Haley: Russia’s shooting and seizing Ukrainian vessels “another reckless Russian escalation”
“The United States will maintain its Crimea-related sanctions against Russia. Indeed, further Russian escalation of this kind will only make matters worse.”
The Trump Administration was quick to condemn what Ukraine claims is Russia’s most recent act of war.
Over the weekend, Ukraine claimed Russia opened fire on several of their ships in the Kerch Strait. Mary covered the incident in detail here:
The undeclared war between Ukraine and Russia took a horrific turn on Sunday after Ukraine claimed that Russia opened fire on its navy in the Kerch Strait, which separates the Black and Azoz Seas.
The attack wounded six sailors and Russia seized at least three Ukrainian vessels.
Ukraine‘s “Military Cabinet passed a resolution to impose a martial law.” President Petro Poroshenko plans to “appeal to the Ukrainian parliament to approve his declaration of martial law.”
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Monday, US ambassador Nikki Haley, accused Russia of taking “outlaw actions.” From the WaPo:
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, accused Russia on Monday of taking “outlaw actions” against Ukrainian ships in an incident at sea this weekend and vowed that sanctions punishing Russia’s annexation of Crimea would continue.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called by both Russia and Ukraine, Haley said the United States would welcome a normal relationship with Russia.
“But outlaw actions like this one continue to make that impossible,” she said. “The United States will maintain its Crimea-related sanctions against Russia. Indeed, further Russian escalation of this kind will only make matters worse.”
Haley pointedly noted she had spoken with President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo before coming to the Security Council. So far, she is the most senior U.S. official to speak publicly on Sunday’s incident.
She said Russia had acted illegally, and arrogantly, when it blocked three Ukrainian ships traversing the Kerch Strait as they sailed from Odessa on the Black Sea to Mariupol on the Azov Sea. They opened fire on the fleet, injuring six sailors. The ships, and at least 23 sailors, are now in Russian custody.
Watch Haley here:
WATCH: In first response from US gov't leadership, Amb. Haley says in Security Council mtg. that Russia’s shooting and seizing Ukrainian vessels is "outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory" and marks “yet another reckless Russian escalation." pic.twitter.com/hczWuTI5wu
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 26, 2018
Monday afternoon, Trump said he didn’t like what was happening. From ABC:
“Either way, we don’t like what’s happening, and hopefully, it will get straightened out,” he told reporters Monday as he left the White House for a campaign rally. “I know Europe is not — they are not thrilled. They’re working on it too. We’re all working on it together.”
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
It might be moving a lot closer to more actions than just sanctions. While they can have their effect, it sure doesn’t seem to phase the Russians much.
Gonna really miss Haley at the viper nest known also as the UN.
You’re really going to miss her when she joins Romney’s Never Trump Brigade. No coincidence that she is leaving the administration just when the Romney Cavalry arrives in town. Always remember that Haley is a Romney Client TM.
I fear you are correct. There’s a lot of NeverTrumpers hiding who will break cover as 2020 draws near.
Haley may be a Never Trumper, but she has served him and the country well at the U.N.
From the streets of Libya to the shores of Ukraine, the coups are still producing results.
Dang I’m going to miss her when she is gone. She can give a very pretty smile, while kneeing some Russian in the nuts.
See my previous comment to oldgoat ….
Part of Russia’s sphere of influence, and probably within its territorial borders. None of USA’s business. I voted for Trump to keep us out of conflicts where we do not belong.
Avoiding conflicts until they become a problem for us has resulted in some pretty big damned wars… an
As somebody who still remembers the Cold War, are we willing to risk a war with Russia over this? Even in their diminished state things could get VERY bad if we provoke that.
The GOPe is licking its chops: war dollars might be rolling in and the lives of our boys rolling out.
This is a bit tangential, but I really hope that NASA funding becomes an increasing priority. I would love to see us with a reliable, functional vehicle to get astronauts back and forth to the Space Station. Right now, we’re dependent upon Russia’s Soyuz rockets, which just gives Russia a bargaining chip when situations like this arise.
Putin intends on reconstituting the Soviet empire bit by bit. He’ll keep right on pushing, seeing what he can get by with, and what he can take without a lot of trouble. He’s already taken some of Georgia, all the Crimea, and is quit a way into the eastern Ukraine. Unless someone is willing to apply real and decisive force against him, he won’t stop. If NATO was any good, they’d admit any of the former Soviet republics who want to join, and drive Putin back within his borders, but with the present European political leadership they will do nothing. I suspect that Trump, Pompeo, Bolton, etc. would like to do something about it, but with both parties in Congress against him, Trump isn’t in a position to do anything on his own.
Ain’t nobody gonna do anything about it but talk. So what’s reckless about it?