US ambassador to the UN blasts Russia as 'major threat facing the U.S' and rejects Trump's attack on intel agencies

The United States ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, has blasted Russia, saying the country is a major threat to the U.S and that incoming U.S President Donald Trump's attacks on the Intel agencies is uncalled for, as the agencies work for the good of America and not the Democratic or Republican party.


According to her, Trump shouldn't have denigrated U.S Intel Agencies after they concluded that Russia worked to favor Trump in the November Presidential elections.

"What is not healthy is for a party or its leaders to cast doubt on a unanimous, well-documented assessment of our intelligence community that a foreign government is seeking to harm our country," Power said at the Washington-based Atlantic Council on Tuesday''

She described Russia as "a major threat facing our nation" said the US can cooperate with Russia where possible, but not to the disadvantage of American interests and global stability. Citing

Russia's invasion of Crimea, and Russia's numerous interference with democracies of European countries, Power warned that America's "values, our security, our prosperity, and our very way of life are tied"

"United States and its closest partners must come together to prevent Russia from succeeding." "Russia's actions are not standing up a new world order," Power said, "they are tearing down the one that exists. This is what we are fighting against -- having defeated the forces of fascism and communism, we now confront the forces of authoritarianism and nihilism." Power said there should be high-level contacts between the US and Russia, but cautioned that the relationship "can't be one that glosses over the past or papers over the fact that you have a leader who has his own opponents intimidated and in some cases killed."

 ''Not only would weakening measures against Russia spur more dangerous actions by Russia, it would embolden other rule-breakers like Iran and North Korea, which are constantly testing how far they can move the line without triggering a response."  

Source : CNN