Not surprisingly, Ukraine featured prominently in Barack Obama's address to the UN today (from RFE/RL's news desk):
U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington will work with any nation on resolving the war in Syria, specifically singling out Russia and Iran.
But Obama, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 28, stressed there could not be a return to the pre-war status quo.
"We must recognize that there cannot be after so much carnage, so much bloodshed a return to the prewar status quo," said Obama.
The president denounced Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a tyrant and said efforts to oust the Islamic State militant group must not bolster Assad.
Obama also said the world cannot stand by while Russia violates Ukraine's integrity and sovereignty.
He said Washington does not want to isolate Russia.
Obama said he wants Russia to engage diplomatically and resolve the crisis in a way that lets Ukraine determine its own future.
(Reuters, AP)
At the United Nation's General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Barack Obama defended economic sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and its involvement in in eastern Ukraine. (Reuters video):
It seems Russia is now hitting back at Ukraine for its ban on Russian airlines (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Russia is closing its airspace to Ukrainian airlines starting October 25 in reprisal for a ban that Ukraine imposed last week on Russian airlines.
The Russian transport agency said September 28 that it is imposing the ban on instructions from Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev.
The measure is in response to a decision by Ukrainian authorities September 25 to ban Aeroflot, Transaero, and other Russian air companies from flying into Ukraine, also starting October 25.
Kyiv, whose ban is aimed at punishing Russia for its annexation of Crimea and backing of Ukrainian separatists in the east, also is barring Russian transit flights if the aircraft carries military personnel or dual-use goods.
Moscow branded Kyiv's move at the time as an "act of madness."
Also earlier this month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expanded a list of sanctions against Russian companies and individuals, targeting 400 officials and 90 companies.
(AP, AFP, TASS)