U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley condemned Thursday Russia's geopolitical maneuver in Eastern Ukraine, stating that Moscow's aggressive behavior "demands clear and strong condemnation."

"I must condemn the aggressive actions of Russia. It is unfortunate because it is a replay of far too many instances over many years in which Unites States representatives have needed to do that. It should not have to be that way," Haley said, as reported by NBC News.

The politically fragile region in Ukraine was engulfed in conflict yet again this week, after Russian-backed separatists clashed with Ukrainian forces.

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The U.S. diplomat, who was confirmed by the Senate last week, maintained that Washington still wants to improve relations with Russia, but added that the Kremlin's aggression can not go unnoticed.

"We do want to better our relations with Russia. However, the dire situation in Eastern Ukraine is one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions," she said.

A Russian official blasted her remarks, which he said mimic the strong anti-Kremlin statements often made by the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power

"It looks like the new U.S. representative at the UN came with remarks that were written by [Samantha] Power," Pushkov said in a tweet