LIVE | UN Security Council meets over Ukraine-Russia escalation

The UN Security Council meets this Monday at the request of the United States, which, together with its NATO allies, is trying to dissuade Russia to invade Ukraine while preparing sanctions against Moscow.

The meeting is being held at the request of the United States, on the eve of a telephone conversation between the heads of Russian and American diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken respectively.

LOOK: 3 keys that explain why Ukraine is so important for Russia

“More than 100,000 Russian troops are deployed and Russia carries out other acts of destabilization against Ukraine, which constitutes a threat to peace, international security and the UN Charter,” said the US ambassador to the agency, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Faced with the threat of an invasion, Ukraine on Sunday asked Russia to withdraw its troops and maintain dialogue with Western countries if it “really” wants to reduce tension.

• Faced with the Russian threat, Ukrainians learn survival techniques, self-defense and use a kalashnikov
• Fear of a war with Russia?: the testimony of Peruvians living in Ukraine
• “We will not wait for them sitting down”: Ukrainian women reservists take their rifles to fight against Russia

U.S and the United Kingdom they brandished the threat of new sanctions against Russia. British officials said they would seek to target a range of Russian economic interests “of direct interest to the Kremlin.”

In response, Moscow on Monday accused British authorities of preparing an “open attack on Russian companies,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, promising a “response” if necessary.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden receives the emir of Qatar on Monday to discuss, among other things, ways to guarantee gas supplies to Europe, given fears that Russia will cut its gas exports.

Meanwhile, a Democratic and a Republican legislator said that Congress is close to reaching an agreement on a bill that provides new economic sanctions against Russia.

Among the punitive measures that the United Kingdom and the United States are studying, there are some that would affect the strategic Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, between Russia and Germany, or even the access of Russians to transactions in dollars, the dominant currency in world exchanges.

Faced with the prospect of new sanctions, Moscow claims to be treated fairly.

“We want good, uniform, mutually respectful and equitable relations with the United States as with all the countries of the world”, Lavrov said on television.

Russia “does not want to remain in a position where its security is regularly violated,” he added.

Disinformation

This Monday Russia will probably try to prevent the meeting of the 15 members of the Security Council from taking place, but that body “is united”, according to the US ambassador.

“Our voices are united in asking the Russians for an explanation,” Thomas-Greenfield added.

“We are going to enter the room ready to listen. But we are not going to let ourselves be distracted by their propaganda,” he said.

“And we will be ready to respond to any disinformation that they try to spread during the meeting,” he warned.

Since the end of last year, Russia is accused of having deployed up to 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border to prepare an attack. Moscow denies having plans to invade its neighbor, but wants written guarantees for its security.

Beginning with the commitment not to incorporate Ukraine into NATO and the end of the strengthening of the Alliance’s military presence in the Eastern countries.

Those demands have been rejected by the United States and the Kremlin is still studying its response to this refusal.

US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said there were “signs” that Russia was interested in a dialogue on the US-NATO response.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “will talk about it probably this week,” Nuland added.

For his part, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menéndez, asked the United States to warn Russia that any aggression against Ukraine will cost it dearly.

“We cannot go back to having a new Munich moment,” the senator told CNN, referring to the 1938 agreement between France, Italy and the United Kingdom with Adolf Hitler, by which Germany seized a part of the Czech territory.

“Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” he added.

Deploy troops

Several Western countries announced in recent days the sending of new military contingents to Eastern Europe.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will propose a troop deployment this week in response to increased “Russian hostility” toward Ukraine.

That announcement was welcomed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian, his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will travel to Kiev this week.

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand, whose government provides military assistance to Ukraine, arrived in Kiev on Sunday for a two-day visit. Anand announced the deployment of Canadian troops to western Ukraine and the temporary repatriation of all non-essential employees from his embassy in Kiev.

____________________________

• The threats of anti-vaccines to a COVID-19 patient who they accuse of being an actor who faked the disease
• He was kidnapped at 16 and released at 58: the story of the man who spent his entire life in captivity
• Jacinda Ardern postpones her wedding due to coronavirus outbreak in New Zealand
• Woman refused to wear a mask on Miami-London flight; the pilot’s response will surprise you
• They run over a reporter in full live broadcast: “my whole life passed before my eyes”

Source: Elcomercio

Deshawn