Pentagon strongly condemns Russian convoy's entrance into Ukraine

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby says the movement of a Russian convoy across Ukraine's border violates Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Published

5 months ago

Categories

World, US

Topics

Military, Europe, United States, International Relations

People

John Kirby, Rear Adm. John Kirby

Places

United States of America, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kiev

Transcript

==RESENDING WITH CORRECTED RESTRICTIONS== ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) The Pentagon condemned on Friday (August 22) the movement of a Russian convoy across Ukraine's border, calling it "a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said the U.S. is very concerned by the movement and "any actions that Russian forces take that increase tensions in the region." "Russia should not send vehicles, persons, or cargo of any kind into Ukraine whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretexts without Kiev's expressed permission," Kirby said. "Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately. Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation." Ukraine declared Friday that Russia had launched a "direct invasion" of its territory after Moscow sent a convoy of aid trucks across the border into eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian rebels are fighting government forces. Moscow, which has thousands of troops close to the Russian side of the border, warned against any attempt to "disrupt" the convoy it said was a purely humanitarian operation; but it did not say what action it might take if Kiev's military intervened.