U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that neither the U.S. nor its allies intend to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Ukraine is trying to get nuclear weapons from the West. Ukraine is one of four countries in the world that has voluntarily given up nuclear weapons. Neither the United States nor our allies have any intention of providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine, and Ukraine does not want them," Thomas-Greenfield told the UN Security Council.
Russia's attack on Ukraine is not provoked, she said.
"It is an attack on Ukraine's status as a member of the United Nations, it is contrary to international law and the basic principles of the United Nations," she said.
In her view, Russia's decisions create "a pretext for further invasion of Ukraine."
"Today, President Putin ripped the Minsk agreements to shreds," Thomas-Greenfield said.
The U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations noted that the U.S. president has signed an executive order on sanctions against the so-called L/DNR, and the U.S. will take action to respond to Russia's decision.
"An attack on Ukraine is an attack on the sovereignty of every UN member state. We continue to believe that negotiations are the only option to resolve differences and preserve peace," Thomas-Greenfield concluded.
