New U.S. Envoy to U.N. Strongly Condemns Russia

The ambassador, Samantha Power, in her first extensive public remarks on Syria, said Russia was holding the Security Council hostage in taking action.

Samantha Power, the new United States ambassador to the United Nations, strongly criticized Russia on Thursday in her first extensive public remarks about Syria, accusing the Kremlin of holding the Security Council hostage by blocking even modest efforts to condemn the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict.

She said Russia’s actions signaled there was no “available path forward at the Security Council.”