On February 17, 2015, Ambassador Samantha Power, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressed a Security Council session concerning the situation in Ukraine. She highlighted ongoing conflicts in Debaltseve, where separatists supported by Russia were reportedly laying siege to the city. This area is located beyond the lines established by the Minsk agreements of September.
Ambassador Power stated that there were conflicting reports about whether Debaltseve had fallen and described a grim scene: "the so-called 'road of life' leading out of Debaltseve has become a 'road of death,' littered with the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers." Despite calls for a cease-fire, she accused Russia of backing an assault on Ukrainian forces.
She noted that civilians trapped in Debaltseve lacked basic necessities and were unable to evacuate due to safety concerns for OSCE monitors who have been denied access by Russian-backed separatists. "We know from credible press reports that thousands of civilians...have been sheltering from heavy shelling," she said.
Power emphasized that while international leaders have engaged in negotiations with Russia to secure peace, actions on the ground contradicted these commitments. She reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and called for adherence to agreements made at Minsk in September 2014 and their implementation package agreed upon on February 12th.
The ambassador cited Aleksei Kravchenko's account from Svitlodarsk near Debaltseve as an example of civilian suffering: “Grandpa, I don’t want to die young,” his grandchildren told him during shelling.
The United States rejected any interpretation undermining previous commitments and urged all parties involved to implement measures such as a comprehensive cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons.
Power concluded by urging Russia to honor its resolution supporting efforts to end the conflict: "We are looking to Russia...to leave the upside-down world it has created."