US accuses Russia of lies on Ukraine

Kremlin launched war to drain financial resources: Power

You are still living in the revolution, and delivering on its promise will require all the resilience, smarts and compassion you’ve got

UN ENVOY SAMANTHA POWER

WASHINGTON’S UN envoy has accused Russia of spinning “outright lies” on Ukraine designed to hide the Kremlin’s direct involvement in a war it launched to thwart Kiev’s pro-Western drive.

Samantha Power’s address to a crowd of hundreds in Kiev delivered one of Washington’s toughest messages to Moscow since the warring sides grudgingly signed off on a loosely defined truce in February that threatened to collapse last week.

In an emotional 70-minute speech, Power said Russia launched the war in Ukraine’s vital eastern industrial heartland 14 months ago to drain the new Government’s financial resources and undermine its public support.

She charged that the Kremlin then tried to disguise its agenda through a torrent of media propaganda and disingenuous speeches at global venues such as the United Nations Security Council - messages that helped President Vladimir Putin’s domestic support touch record highs.

“The focus on Ukraine in the Security Council is important because it gives me the chance, on behalf of the United States, to lay out the mounting evidence of Russia’s aggression, its obfuscation, and its outright lies,” Power said.

Power’s public appearance worked in part to dispel that speculation and reassure increasingly disenchanted Ukrainians that Washington remained firmly on their side.

“You are still living in the revolution, and delivering on its promise will require all the resilience, smarts and compassion you’ve got,” Power said.