NEW YORK, Sept. 22 - Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on Monday called for a new "Coalition of Freedom," to defend democracy and Western values in a troubled world.

"It is about security for everyone," said Klimkin, during an exclusive Fox News interview on the eve of world leaders gathering in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. "If someone in this interchangeable and intertwined world cannot feel secure, how can U.S. citizens here feel secure?"

He said that Ukraine is confronting a threat any nation can face, adding "we need a network of security."
His proposed Coalition of Freedom would consist of "countries which are committed to freedom, to democratic values, where we are not talking about spheres of influence, but the values and real interests of democratic countries."

Klimkin said he faults the world body for failing to confront what he called Russia's invasion of Crimea, and eastern Ukraine. He also said that the West was effectively caught flat-footed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's shocking territorial conquest of parts of his country.

"I believe that NATO, the U.S. and the European Union were not ready for such developments, which have taken place around Crimea and now in Donetsk and Luhansk. Now all of us clearly understand the depths of these events."

Klimkin also is calling for "a fundamental change for the U.N.," which has been impotent in the wake of the first European invasion of another country since Adolf Hitler tested British, French and American resolve with the Nazi invasions of the 1930's.

"If you see the whole inflow of mercenaries, money, weapons and heavy weapons into Ukraine, and it's all coming across the Ukraine-Russian border, if you see the presence of Russian troops and Russian heavy weaponry on our territory, it is an act of aggression."

Despite Russia's occupation of his country, Klimkin says Ukraine has "the solidarity of the Western world."
Supporters of Ukraine in Congress are also going beyond siding with Kiev in its fight against Moscow by seeking to provide military arms the country's forces need to face the Russian backed rebels.

President Obama has so far decided to only send non-lethal supplies to the Ukrainian military. The administration is reportedly concerned that weapons shipments would only embolden Putin even further.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke to a joint session of Congress and met with President Obama in the Oval Office last week, but came away without a promise for arms for his besieged forces.

"They need more military equipment, both lethal and nonlethal . . . blankets, night-vision goggles are also important, but one cannot win the war with blankets," Poroshenko said. (fox/ez)