Russian Federation to close airspace to all Ukrainian air carriers

“Ukraine needs solidarity and assistance, which is a powerful instrument against aggression and injustice”, he said.

In his speech to the General Assembly, Poroshenko reminded the global audience that Ukraine is under attack from Russian Federation, which had pledged to guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in exchange for Kyiv surrendering the world’s third-largest nuclear weapons arsenal. Representatives from Russian Federation were not present in the General Assembly Hall when Poroshenko spoke.

Russia’s Transportation Ministry is banning Ukrainian airlines from flying to Russia, a measure taken in response to Ukraine’s ban last week on Russian flights.

“Sustainable development is not achievable where explosions are heard and peaceful people are killed”. Evidence points to Russian Federation, but their vetoes on the council have stalled investigations to find out “who organized this crime and from which country the mentioned arms had been transported”.

Ukraine and the European Union past year signed a landmark agreement that Poroshenko hopes will enable Kiev to apply for EU membership in 2020 and possible inclusion in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation at a later date.

Referring to the crisis in Eastern Ukraine, where two regions are controlled by pro-Russia rebels wanting to break away from Kiev’s control, Poroshenko alleged that the problems in his country is “not a civil war nor an internal conflict”, but the result of a “reckless game” played by Russian Federation in a “desire to return to imperial times”. The United Nations says 8,000 have died in the fighting.

In coordination with its G-7 partners, Japan has imposed economic sanctions on Russian Federation following its annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine in March previous year.

“I wasn’t able to go out anywhere for a week: I was guarded by masked men”, said Savchenko, who was dressed in a traditional Ukrainian embroidered blouse.

Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, on trial for the murder of two Russian journalists, said yesterday she was captured by pro-Kremlin separatists and then smuggled into Russia by armed, masked men. Reports by state news agencies did not note a similar stipulation in the Russian declaration. In order to put an end to the fighting, an agreement was reached in Minsk in September. Local elections were scheduled to take place October 25.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held talks on Sunday with German leader Angela Merkel about the peace plan she helped to broker.