You're reading: US State Department: Kyiv has right to defend eastern regions from Russian-backed separatists

Washington - The Ukrainian authorities have every right to defend the eastern regions from Russian-backed separatists, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department Jen Psaki has said.

“The government of Ukraine is defending the country of Ukraine, and I think they have every right to do that, as does the international community,” she said at a briefing on Monday when asked if air strikes by Ukrainian military in the country’s east were justified.

According to Psaki, the people of Ukraine have the right to live in peace and security “without Russian-backed separatists attacking their homes and going into buildings.”

“And I think that’s where the root cause of this is and we shouldn’t forget that fact,” she added.