Linda Thomas-Greenfield: “For 30 years the United States has been supporting the people of South Sudan, even before South Sudan became an entity.”

We have held the doors open for meaningful diplomacy and we remain open to dialogue, real productive dialogue without preconditions.

The truth is that this war was one man`s choice, and one man alone -- President Putin. It was his choice to force hundreds of thousands of people to stuff their lives into backpacks and flee the country.

We are stronger than we ever were before in terms of the European Union, NATO. All of this was not part of Putin`s plan. I think he thought that we would start to fray around the edges very, very quickly.

We know the outcomes of these sham referenda were predetermined in Moscow. They, in no way, represent a legitimate expression of the will of the Ukrainian people. The will of the Ukrainian people is clear every day as they fight valiantly…