Russian and U.S. ambassadors exchange fiery words over Ukraine at U.N. Security Council meeting
All 15 UNSC member nations will deliver a statement at the meeting, and Ukraine will also be required to speak
At a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, Russia accused the West of "whipping up tensions" over its troop buildup on the Ukrainian border, adding that the U.S. had helped to bring "pure Nazis" to power in Kyiv.
Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia blamed the U.S. for ousting Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly president in 2014 and instead bringing to power "nationalists, radicals, Russophobes and pure Nazis."
"If they hadn’t done this, then we to date would be living in a spirit of good neighborly relations and mutual cooperation ... What’s happening today is yet another attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and Ukraine," said the ambassador, continuing to deflect attention away from the actions of his home country.
The meeting, which occurred at the request of the United States – saw all key players openly discuss the potential global effect of a Russian invasion into Ukraine, though the U.N. body ultimately took no action on Monday.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, when announcing the meeting last week called, Russia's actions "a clear threat" to international peace. On Monday, she added that "they (the Russians) are attempting, without any factual basis, to paint Ukraine and Western countries as the aggressors to fabricate a pretext for attack."
"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 Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
Russia's U.N. representatives had preemptively been critical of the meeting.
"Hopefully fellow UNSC members will not support this clear PR stunt shameful for the reputation of UN Security Council," tweeted Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador.
Russia lost its attempt to block the meeting, for which it would have needed thee support of nine out of 15 members of the council.
China's ambassador to the U.N. supported Russia's attempt.
The reason for the conflict, and the possibility of a Russia invasion, is essentially that Russian President Vladimir Putin opposes Ukraine's efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, led by Western nations.
Russia's buildup of roughly 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine has triggered increasingly serious worry from Western and NATO ally nations that Moscow intends to invade.