The United States and Russia bitterly attacked each other over the Ukraine crisis in a diplomatic brawl Monday at the U.N. Security Council, in a session replete with acidic exchanges that could have been lifted from the Cold War era.The Americans, backed by their Western allies, accused Russia of endangering peace and destabilizing global security by massing more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, while Kremlin diplomats dismissed what they called baseless and hysterical U.S. fear-mongering aimed at weakening Russia and provoking armed conflict.“The situation we are facing in Europe is urgent and dangerous,” the United States ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in her opening remarks to a televised meeting of the Council that Russia had sought to prevent. “Russia’s actions strike at the very heart of the U.N. charter.”Her Russian counterpart, Vassily Nebenzia, said it was the Americans who were the provocateurs, “whipping up tensions and provoking escalation,” as he insisted that Russia had no plans to invade Ukraine.“You are almost pulling for this,” he said, looking at Ms. Thomas-Greenfield. “You want it to happen. You’re waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality.”The meeting of the 15-nation Security Council, requested by the United States last week, had not been expected to produce any diplomatic breakthrough: the Council is known more for its failures to avert armed conflicts rather than success in preventing them.Still, the meeting represented the highest-profile arena for the two biggest nuclear military powers to sway world opinion over the escalating tensions involving Ukraine.Image
A Roman Catholic prayer service for peace in Pionerske, Ukraine, on Friday.Credit...Brendan Hoffman for The New York TimesAs diplomats sparred at the United Nations, behind-the-scenes efforts to resolve the crisis accelerated, with President Emmanuel Macron of France speaking to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on the phone on Monday for the second time in four days.The Kremlin said the two leaders had discussed Ukraine as well as Mr. Putin’s demands for “security guarantees” that would include a legally binding halt on NATO expansion to the east. They agreed to stay in touch by phone and to “work promptly on the possibility of holding an in-person meeting,” the Kremlin said.Understand Russia’s Relationship With the West
The tension between the regions is growing and Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly willing to take geopolitical risks and assert his demands.
Competing for Influence: For months, the threat of confrontation has been growing in a stretch of Europe from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Threat of Invasion: As the Russian military builds its presence near Ukraine, Western nations are seeking to avert a worsening of the situation.Energy Politics: Europe is a huge customer of Russia’s fossil fuels. The rising tensions in Ukraine are driving fears of a midwinter cutoff.Migrant Crisis: As people gathered on the eastern border of the European Union, Russia's uneasy alliance with Belarus triggered additional friction.Militarizing Society: With a “youth army” and initiatives promoting patriotism, the Russian government is pushing the idea that a fight might be coming.American officials said Monday they had received a Russian response to Washington’s proposal, made last week, to defuse the Ukraine crisis. But a State Department official would not detail the response, saying the Biden administration did not want to negotiate in public. On Tuesday morning, the U.S. secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, is expected to speak by phone with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov.But even as the diplomats at the Security Council emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution, the tone of the rhetoric between the Russian and AmericanBy: Rick Gladstone and Maria Varenikova
Title: Angry U.S.-Russia Exchange at U.N. Punctuates Deepening Ukraine Rift
Sourced From: www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/world/europe/ukraine-russia-united-nations.html
Published Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:55:21 +0000
Read More
Did you miss our previous article...
https://badpoliticians.com/us-politics/federal-prison-system-locked-down-nationwide-by-fatal-gang-fight
UK PoliticsWorld PoliticsVideosPrivacy PolicyTerms And Conditions
