Samantha Power: A thief may steal, but that does not give him ownership of the stolen goods

"The representative of the Russian Federation began his speech by praising the so-called referendum, presenting it as an embodiment of democratic procedures, claiming it was conducted without outside interference. Russia is known for its great literature, and what you heard from the representative of Russia is the fruit of a more fertile imagination than that of Tolstoy or Chekhov. It appears that Russia has decided to change its borders, but it cannot change the facts," said Samantha Power, characterizing the statement of the Russian representative at the UN, Vitaly Churkin, regarding the situation in Crimea.

"The United States, she continued, condemns Russia's military intervention in Crimea and the seizure of another state's territory. These actions violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the agreements Russia has signed and is obligated to fulfill, norms of international law, the will of the majority of the members of this council, as well as the letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter."

As Power noted, "two days ago, President Obama and other world leaders decided to impose sanctions in response to Russia's flagrant disregard for global public opinion and the legal rights of Ukraine. We are ready to take further measures if Russian aggression and provocations continue."

Then the US ambassador to the UN said:

"When the crisis began, speaking in this hall, the representative of the Russian Federation described Russia's intervention in Crimea as a mission to protect human rights. The Russian side stated that the recent change of government in Ukraine poses such a danger to the Russian population in Crimea that military action is justified.

In his report, the UN Assistant Secretary-General Shimonovich once again showed that this crisis has never had anything to do with protecting the rights of the Russian population. It has always been motivated by the desire of the country to redraw its borders.

Indeed, if there was ever a time to be concerned about human rights violations in Crimea, it is today. According to credible reports, there are cases of persecution of ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars by those supporting Russia. Crimean Tatars, who make up 12 percent of Crimea's population, are understandably afraid of becoming victims of deportation or discrimination again. Recently, the first deputy prime minister of Crimea stated that Crimean Tatars would be evicted from certain plots of land belonging to them, which he claimed were necessary for "infrastructure projects."

On Sunday, the body of Crimean Tatar Reshat Akhmetov was discovered. He was last seen on March 3 at a protest in Simferopol. Reports indicate that his body showed signs of torture. According to incoming reports, Russian military personnel are storming buildings where Ukrainian soldiers, border guards, veterans, and their families live, threatening them and demanding that they leave Crimea immediately. Additionally, we are very concerned about the fate of activists, civil society leaders, journalists, and media restrictions in Crimea.

In this regard, the United States advocates for international observers to begin work across all regions of Ukraine as soon as possible, and we find it significant that the Ukrainian government has repeatedly expressed support for their presence in the country, while the Russian Federation does not support this idea.

Today in Vienna, Russia was again the only country to oppose the OSCE observer mission. In this, Russia clearly found itself in the minority. Out of 57 countries, it was the only one that voted against.

Apparently, 56 countries hold a different opinion. Russian officials claim to understand the seriousness of the situation, but they vote with their feet, relying on military force and turning down assistance from those who could help defuse the crisis and prevent further escalation of violence. Having listened to several minutes ago the attacks from my Russian colleague on the report of the assistant secretary-general, I understood the logic of the Russian obstruction. Objective information does not align with the fabrications of the Russian side. We call on all parties to support these observer missions, including ensuring their access to Crimea.

We would like to thank the members of this council for taking a firm stance regarding Russia's intervention in Ukraine and clearly making it known to Russia that it stands alone in its doomed, illogical, and dishonest attempts to justify actions that have no justification.

Five days ago, when this council very accurately called the separatist referendum in Crimea invalid, only one hand voted against. When this council stated that the results of this referendum cannot serve as the basis for any changes in the status of Crimea, only one hand voted against. And now this referendum has taken place, but the internal and international legal status of Crimea has not changed. A thief may steal, but that does not give him ownership of the stolen goods.

In conclusion, Madam Chair, let me once again emphasize that what Russia has done is illegal from a legal, historical, and political perspective. Moreover, it is dangerous. What happened in Crimea cannot be recognized as legitimate. We must stand united in refusing to recognize the legality of what has occurred and ensure that these illegal actions do not go unpunished. At the same time, we must clearly state that what happened in Crimea cannot be repeated in other regions of Ukraine."