Representatives of the United States and Russia clashed over Ukraine at a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, The New York Times reports.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia was the first to speak, immediately calling for a procedural vote to adjourn the meeting.
He claimed that the United States' characterization of Russian troop movements as "a threat to international peace and security" was an instance of "unacceptable interference" in Russia's "domestic affairs" as well as "an attempt to mislead the international community."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
American alarmism, Nebenzia said, is to blame for "current global tensions." He went on to accuse the U.S. of engaging in "megaphone diplomacy" and of calling the Security Council meeting to publicly "whip up hysterics" rather than to facilitate productive discussion.
To support his point, Nebenzia cited statements Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made last week asking the U.S. and other countries to tone down their rhetoric about imminent invasion and not to "shout so much."
"Panic is the sister of failure," Zelensky said.
That same week, President Biden warned Zelensky there is a "distinct possibility" Russia could invade in February.
American U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield was the next to address the Security Council.
Thomas-Greenfield argued the international community is right to be concerned about Russia's buildup of 100,000 troops on Ukraine's border, noting that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 to seize Crimea.
She also asked other members of the Security Council how they might feel "if you had 100,000 troops sitting on your border."
Per the Times, the 10-member council "voted to proceed with the meeting, with only Russia and China objecting."
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sitesIn The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s voidFeature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War DepartmentFeature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
Russian drone tests Romania as Trump spinsSpeed Read Trump is ‘resisting congressional plans to impose newer and tougher penalties on Russia’s energy sector’
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
‘Peak consumption has become the Holy Grail of the energy debate’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
Burkina Faso's misinformation warUnder The Radar The president of the West African country has quickly become the face of a viral, AI-powered propaganda campaign
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
