Even Russia’s deputy foreign Minister said that everything must be done to reach a diplomatic solution. He didn’t reply to Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary-of-State,’s request to declare unambiguously that Russia would not invade Ukraine.
What Blinken called the greatest threat to international security and peace today is still Russia.
Russia called the annual Security Council meeting to discuss implementation of Minsk Agreements, which aim to restore peace to eastern Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion in Crimea in 2014, Russian-backed separatists have been fighting government troops.
All the key players were present at the open session, where they discussed wider security concerns from Moscow. It demanded a NATO ban on Ukraine joining NATO.
Blinken made reference to a 2003 speech by Colin Powell to the Security Council in which he outlined purported U.S. evidence that Iraqi weapons had been developed before the invasion. He told the council members that he was not here to start a conflict, but to stop one.
Blinken stated that U.S. intelligence indicates that Russia’s more than 150,000 troops residing around Ukraine “are preparing for an attack against Ukraine within the next days.”
The world can expect Russia to “make a pretext” for an attack. This could include inventing a terrorist attack inside Russia, or staging a drone strike on civilians, or using chemical weapons. He said that Russian media has “began to spread some of the false alarms, claims, in order to maximize public outrage” over the past few days.
Blinken described a scenario where this could be followed up by high-level Russian emergency meeting saying that the government must respond to “to defend Russian citizens in Ukraine.” This would then be followed up by missiles and bombs, jamming Ukraine’s communications and shutting down key Ukrainian institutions. Finally, tanks and troops would advance on the capital, Kyiv.
Sergey Vershinin (Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister), spoke right before Blinken but did not address the military buildup at Ukraine’s borders. Instead, he accused Ukraine, calling them “the only legal basis for settling the civil conflicts in east Ukraine.” He also accused its “Western sponsors” as supporting the government that has “pushed the Ukrainian hotheads into new excuses and military adventures to their own people.”
“Many million people in the (eastern), Donbass still appear as foreigners in their country.” Vershinin stated that they have strike drones, sniper rifles and Howitzers as well as automatic rifles.
Russian minister refers to Wednesday night’s Security Council document claiming that crimes took place in the southeastern Ukraine. He tells members: “You will not believe it.”
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield stated that the United States wanted to hear from Vershinin about Blinken’s request for Russia to declare it will not invade Ukraine.
She said, “But instead it was a continuationof the disinformation, the rhetoric that we continue hearing, and we’ve heard before.”
Vershinin replied that “no one” had or would ever use words for Russia such as “war aggression”, which were used by some council members.
Later, he stated to reporters that he had reiterated his firm commitment to de-escalation of the crisis and peaceful resolution, once again based upon the Minsk agreements.
He called upon the capitals of the West to “drop and stop this hysteria over the intentions Russia in the Region,” and reiterated Moscow’s announcement that Russian troops would be returning to Russia’s bases after conducting military drills.
Vershinin stated, “I believe that diplomacy is possible and I’m happy that our partners believe in diplomacy.” “We should certainly do everything we can to find a diplomatic, peaceful solution to this inter-Ukrainian conflict and crisis.”
Thomas-Greenfield said that the “recent statements we heard about Russia” were exactly the type of incendiary rhetoric, disinformation that we and others warned against.
She stated that Russia’s diplomatic path was being pursued by the rest of the Security Council, and not the path of confrontation. “Unfortunately, Russia chose not to follow this path.”
France, Ireland and Norway are European council members. Estonia, Germany and the European Union delegation joined them in voicing their support for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ urgent appeal to solve the Ukraine crisis diplomatically. They also called for the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements, starting with the ceasefire.
James Cleverly, Britain’s deputy foreign minister, urged Russia to “match its words with action, to withdraw its soldiers, to engage meaningful talks, and to act in Europe’s best interests of peace and security.”
China’s U.N. China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun, a close Russian ally said Beijing supports Guterres’ view of diplomacy solving even the most difficult issues and supports his good offices to reduce tensions. However, he also supported Moscow’s opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya of Ukraine told the council that his country is committed to peaceful resolution of conflict “by diplomatic means”, but added that Russia could opt for escalation.
He accused Russia of blocking large areas of the Black Sea, under the pretext that it was conducting naval exercises and cyberattacks in a “hybrid war” against Ukraine. And he called Russia’s accusation of Ukraine committing “genocide” in the occupied East “fake” and “irresponsible” propaganda.
Kyslytsya criticized the lawmakers’ appeal to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to recognize rebel-held territories in eastern Ukraine as independent countries. She said this would be tantamount a withdrawal from the Minsk Agreements, which Russia signed.
