On Monday, top diplomats from the United States (US) and Russia severly criticised each other over the escalating Ukrainian crisis during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting. The US warned Russia against invading Ukraine, saying that Moscow will face “horrific consequences.” Russia dismissed America’s claims and accused Washington of provoking Moscow.
After fighting off Russia’s attempts, backed by China, to block the session, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the meeting was being called to make members of the Security Council feel “uncomfortable” and added, “Imagine how uncomfortable you would be if you had 100,000 troops sitting on your border,” referring to Russia’s troop build-up along the Ukrainian border that she called “the largest mobilization” in Europe for years. The American ambassador went on to accuse Russia of preparing to invade Ukraine with the help of Belarus, citing US intelligence reports that indicate an additional deployment of 30,000 Russian troops to Belarus.
On Monday, the US President Joe Biden addressed the Security Council meeting in a statement saying the Russian aggression towards Ukraine violates the core tenants of the UN Charter and added that Russia will “face swift and severe consequences” if it fails to address the security concerns of America and its European allies. Biden also said the meeting represents “a critical step in rallying the world to speak out in one voice.”
Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia dismissed all claims made by his US counterpart, and instead alleged Washington of “whipping up tensions” and “provoking escalation” with regards to the conflict in Ukraine. “The discussions about a threat of war is provocative in and of itself,” Nebenzia said. He stressed that Russia is not planning to invade Ukraine and that there was “no proof” of any such plans. Nebenzia also affirmed that Moscow reserves the right to move its army within its territory. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the claims made by America as “empty and unfounded” accusing Washington of promoting “hysteria” that is actively damaging Ukraine to the point where people are packing their bags and leaving the country.
During the meeting, China’s ambassador to UN Zhang Jun emphasised that “what is urgently needed now is quiet diplomacy, not megaphone diplomacy.” The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo echoed China’s sentiments and reiterated the UN Chief António Guterres’ position on the matter saying, “There can be no alternative to diplomacy and dialogue.” Any official action by the UN against Moscow is unlikely since Russia holds veto power alongwith the US, France, Britain and China.
The latest US-Russia spat over Ukraine comes after Washington and its allies formally rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s security proposal that called for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to cease its eastern expansion and halt America’s ability to move missiles in Europe. The US and Russia held high level diplomatic talks in early January over Putin’s security proposal, but the meetings yielded no progress over the issue.