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Russia on Monday accused the West of “increasing tensions” over Ukraine and said the United States had brought “pure Nazis” to power in Kiev as the UN Security Council held a tumultuous and militant debate over troop mobilization. of Moscow near its southern neighbor.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded by saying that Russia’s growing military force of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders was “the largest mobilization” in Europe in decades, adding that there has been an increase in attacks. cybernetic and disinformation by Russia.
“They are trying, without any factual basis, to describe Ukraine and Western countries as aggressors to come up with a pretext for attack,” she said.
The sharp exchanges in the Security Council came after Moscow missed an attempt to block the meeting, which reflected the gap between the two nuclear powers. It was the first open session where all the protagonists of the crisis in Ukraine spoke publicly, although the most powerful UN body took no action.
Although more high-level diplomacy is expected this week, talks between the US and Russia have so far failed to reduce tensions, with the West saying Moscow is preparing for an invasion. Russia has denied that it has asked NATO to promise that it will never allow Ukraine to join the alliance, stop the deployment of NATO weapons near the Russian border, and withdraw its forces from Eastern Europe.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the Biden administration of “increasing tensions and rhetoric and provoking escalation.”
“You are almost asking for this to happen,” he said, looking at Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “You want it to happen. “You are waiting for this to happen, as if you want your words to come true.”
He blamed the United States for ousting a friendly Kremlin president in Kiev in 2014, saying it brought “pure nationalists, radicals, Russophobes and Nazis” to power and created antagonism between Ukraine and Russia.
“If they had not done so, then we would still be living in the spirit of good neighborly relations and mutual co-operation,” said Ambassador Nebenzia. “However, some in the West just do not like this positive scenario. “What is happening today is another attempt to create a link between Russia and Ukraine.”
Ambassador Nebenzia immediately left the hall as the Ukrainian ambassador began to speak, leaving room for his deputy.
The vote to hold an open meeting was approved 10-2, with Russia and China opposing while India, Gabon and Kenya abstaining. Nine votes were needed to approve the opening of the meeting.
President Biden said in a statement that the meeting was “a critical step in uniting the world to speak with one voice” to reject the use of force, to demand a reduction in military escalation, to support diplomacy and to hold everyone accountable. member “to refrain from military aggression against its neighbors.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made no significant progress in easing tensions at their meeting in Geneva earlier this month. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry they are expected to speak by phone on Tuesday. A senior State Department official confirmed the announcement.
President Biden warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call Thursday that there was a “special possibility” that Russia could launch an incursion in February, but the Ukrainian leader tried to downplay fears of war.
Mr Zelenskyy said on Friday that “we are not seeing any escalation on the ground” and stressed that the Russian aggression could be an attempt by Moscow to exert “psychological pressure” and sow panic.
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