Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko calls Putin 'double-tongued'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's call for the creation of an international antiterrorism coalition was hypocritical, and his words are "double-tongued."
"Over the last few days we have heard conciliatory statements from the Russian side," he said during the United Nations General Assembly. "Cool story, but really hard to believe. How can you urge an antiterrorist coalition if you inspire terrorism right in front of your door? How can you talk about peace and legitimacy if your policy is war via puppet governments? The Gospel of John teaches us, 'In the beginning was the word.' But what kind of a gospel do you bring to the world if all your words are double-tongued like that?"
Russia has been increasing its support for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and wants the proposed coalition to fight Islamic State and other extremist groups, Reuters reports. "These days the Russian 'men in green' tread on Syrian land," Poroshenko said. "What or who is next?"
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Poroshenko also said Russia is continuing to train and give money to pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, and sending over Russian troops who are taking their insignias off their uniforms. "For over 20 months, Russia's aggression against my country has been continuing through financing of terrorists and mercenaries, and supplies of arms and military equipment to the illegal armed groups," he said. Russia denies those allegations, and during Poroshenko's speech, all but one member of the Russian delegation left the assembly hall.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
