Russian-US Dispute at UN over Ukraine

On Monday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the West of "inflaming tensions" over Ukraine, saying the US had installed "pure Nazis" in Kyiv, as the United Nations Security Council debated Moscow's force deployment near its southern neighbour, according to a report by AP.

Russia's rising military presence of over 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, according to US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is "the greatest mobilisation" in Europe in decades, with a jump in cyberattacks and Russian disinformation.

"And they're aiming to characterise Ukraine and Western countries as aggressors without any factual basis in order to create a pretext for attack," she said.

The tense discussions in the Security Council erupted after Moscow failed to veto the meeting, highlighting the chasm that exists between the two nuclear powers. Even though the United Nations' most powerful body took no action, it was the first open session when all protagonists in the Ukraine issue spoke publicly.

Despite the fact that more high-level diplomacy is scheduled this week, negotiations between the US and Russia have so far failed to defuse the crisis, with the West accusing Moscow of planning an invasion.

Russia has denied that it intends to attack. It seeks guarantees that Ukraine would never join NATO, an end to NATO weapons deployment near Russian borders, and a withdrawal of NATO soldiers from Eastern Europe. Those are referred to as nonstarters by NATO and the US.

The Biden administration, according to Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, is "whipping up tensions and rhetoric and encouraging escalation."

He looked at Thomas-Greenfield and said, "You're almost pulling for this." "You want it to happen," says the narrator. You're waiting for something to happen, as if you want your words to come true."

He blamed the United States for the fall of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv in 2014, claiming that it sent "nationalists, extremists, Russophobes, and genuine Nazis" to power and fueled the animosity between Ukraine and Russia.

"If they hadn't done this, we would be living in an atmosphere of good neighbourliness and mutual collaboration right now," Nebenzia stated. "However, this favourable prospect does not sit well with others in the West." Today's events are another another attempt to sever ties between Russia and Ukraine."

As Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya began to speak, Nebenzia abruptly exited the council chamber. "How long will Russia exert pressure, will it continue to make a blatant attempt to drag Ukraine and its allies into a Kafka-like situation?" Kyslytsva had inquired.

The proposal to hold an open meeting was approved by a vote of 10-2, with Russia and China voting against it and India, Gabon, and Kenya abstaining. The vote required nine votes to pass.

The summit was "a key step in rallying the globe to speak out in one voice" to reject the use of force, seek military de-escalation, support diplomacy, and demand accountability from all members "to desist from military action against its neighbours," according to US President Joe Biden.

At their meeting in Geneva earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to make any tangible progress in lowering tensions. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, they will speak via phone on Tuesday. The Russian storey was corroborated by a senior State Department official.

In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, Biden warned that there is a "distinct possibility" that Russia will start an incursion in February, but Zelenskyy sought to downplay the war fears, saying that Western fears of an invasion have caused many investors in the country's financial markets to cash out.

"We aren't witnessing any escalation bigger than before," Zelenskyy said Friday, adding that Moscow's buildup could be an attempt to exert "psychological pressure" and spread panic.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Ukraine to meet with Zelenskyy, as well as speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge him to "take a step back," according to Johnson's office. As a show of force, Johnson said he is considering sending hundreds of British troops to NATO countries in the Baltic region.

"Hysteria pushed by Washington inspires hysteria in Ukraine, where people are almost starting to pack their bags for the front line," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Given Russia's veto power and its ties with other members of the Security Council, particularly China, any formal action by the Security Council is exceedingly improbable.

"We're going into the room prepared to listen to them, but we're not going to be distracted by their propaganda," Thomas-Greenfield said of Russia on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Last week, she stated that members of the Security Council "must openly evaluate the facts and weigh what is at stake for Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the key commitments and principles of the international order if Russia continues to attack Ukraine."

China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said on Friday that both sides have expressed a readiness to continue talks and that they should be allowed to do so.

Sen. Bob Menendez, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned on Sunday that if Russia is attacked, Democrats want "the mother of all sanctions" imposed. This includes moves against Russian banks that could significantly stifle the Russian economy, as well as expanded lethal assistance to Ukraine's military.

The proposed penalties would appear to be far more severe than those imposed when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Those punishments were seen to be ineffective.

Menendez also mentioned the possibility of putting certain sanctions ahead of any invasion.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Monday that the administration was heartened by Congress's bipartisan effort to "hold Russia accountable." The administration has previously voiced concern that preemptive penalties would reduce their power over Russia, but as the Foreign Relations Committee prepares to act, the White House appears to be warming to the idea.

"In our opinion, sanctions can be an effective deterrent tool, and the deepening sell-off in Russian markets reflects our message to Russia," Psaki said.