'We can't stand by when sovereignty of nation is flagrantly violated' – Obama on Ukraine

10:09, 29.09.2015 1 min read

U.S. President Barack Obama has said he supports Ukraine regaining control over its lost territories.

When delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Obama said that the global community still insists that the crisis in Ukraine needs to be settled so that a sovereign and democratic country can resume control over its territories.

"We can't stand by when the sovereignty of a nation is flagrantly violated. If that happens to a sovereign nation like Ukraine in can happen to any nation here," he said, with reference to the annexation of Crimea by Russia last year.

He said that American sanctions against Moscow do not show a desire to return to a cold war, despite what the Russian state media says.

"Look at the results [of the sanctions]. Ukrainian people are more interested in joining Europe, educated Russians are leaving the country. It would have been much better if Russia had worked with the international community and Ukraine, rather than acting independently and using the law of force," Obama said.