US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Washington has no plans to weaken Russia. This is reported RIA News.
This is how she commented on the speech of the Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzi.
Let me be clear, we have no plans to weaken Russia, as my Russian colleague stated today, on the contrary, we welcome Russia as a responsible member of the international community, but its actions on the border of Ukraine are irresponsible
According to her, the actions of the Russian side on the border with Ukraine are “provocative.” Thomas-Greenfield expressed hope that Moscow will make the right choice at the meeting of the Security Council.
Lack of evidence
Vasily Nebenzya at a meeting of the Security Council said that Western countries have not provided evidence that Russia is allegedly preparing an invasion of Ukraine.
He also called incorrect the words that Moscow is allegedly blackmailing the United States and NATO with threats of an attack on Ukraine. According to him, the Russian side is not using the situation around Ukraine to persuade Brussels and Washington to make concessions to Moscow’s demands for security guarantees.
Not a single threat of planning an invasion of Ukraine from the lips of any of the Russian politicians or public figures has sounded during all this time. On the contrary, we have categorically denied such accusations at all levels. We are doing this now. Anyone who claims otherwise is misleading you.
Nebenzia also noted that some Western states “have fantasies that Russia has already committed aggression against Ukraine, even if this did not happen.”
In his opinion, the US request to discuss the situation in Ukraine at the UN puts colleagues on the Security Council in an uncomfortable position.
We do not think that this helps to unite the Council. On the contrary, we are well aware that the desire of our American colleagues to whip up hysteria around their own allegations of allegedly impending Russian aggression, including using the rostrum of the Security Council, puts our colleagues on the Security Council in an extremely uncomfortable position.
Nebenzia stressed that the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, which the United States requested, is an example of megaphone diplomacy and whipping up hysteria around a hypothetical Russian invasion.
Possible provocations
Russia does not exclude provocations from Ukraine, Nebenzya said. According to him, the possibility of Kiev’s provocations was also allowed by the unrecognized DPR and LPR. He recalled how in 2014 Ukrainian forces launched an offensive against the republics of Donbass. “We are trying to avoid it. Attempts to resolve the conflict by military means are completely unacceptable,” the diplomat said.
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According to Nebenzya, Moscow is concerned that Western countries, in the event of Kiev’s provocations against the DNR and LNR, may blame Russia for this. He noted that the Russian authorities and thoughts do not admit the possibility of an invasion of Ukraine.
Threats of sanctions
Deputy head of the European Commission (EC) Valdis Dombrovskis said that the European Union (EU) will prepare a new package of personal, economic, financial and trade sanctions against Russia. According to him, a package of sanctions against the Russian Federation may be introduced in case of aggression against Ukraine.
A package of sanctions is being developed. This will be a very serious, large-scale package, the purpose of which will be to contain Russia. It will consist of personal, economic, financial, trade sanctions
Also, the leaders of the UK, the US and the EU discussed an “unprecedented package of sanctions” against Russia in the event of an escalation of the conflict over Ukraine. Politicians decided that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a punitive response should be taken, including imposing an “unprecedented package of sanctions.”
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At the same time, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance has made it clear that it is ready for dialogue with Russia. He stressed that Russia’s military build-up is “inexplicable and unjustified.”
It is Russia that should explain it, [приступить к] de-escalation and start a serious political dialogue with NATO and its allies. We have made it clear that we are ready for it.
Stoltenberg noted that he considers holding the Russia-NATO Council the right step towards easing tensions and finding a political solution.
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