Members of Russia's U.N. delegation laughed after President Barack Obama criticized their country for recent incursions into Ukraine in his speech before the
General Assembly on Wednesday.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin can be seen on video covering his mouth, laughing, and tapping the arm of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also is laughing.
"Russian aggression in Europe recalls the days when large nations trampled small ones in pursuit of territorial ambition," Obama told the Assembly. "We call upon others to join us on the right side of history — for while small gains can be won at the barrel of a gun, they will ultimately be turned back if enough voices support the freedom of nations and peoples to make their own decisions."
Russian troops took over the Crimean region of southern Ukraine earlier this year, and in recent weeks have crossed the Russia-Ukraine border to assist separatist rebels. The White House has increased sanctions on Russia repeatedly, but Republican critics have said the United States should help arm Ukraine, among other actions.
Obama on Wednesday urged a "path of diplomacy and peace and the ideals this institution is designed to uphold." He called the recent cease-fire agreement in Ukraine an opening to achieve that objective.
"If Russia takes that path – a path that for stretches of the post-Cold War period resulted in prosperity for the Russian people – then we will lift our sanctions and welcome Russia's role in addressing common challenges," he said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.