U.S., Russia quarrel at UN Security Council meeting

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the United States of wanting war and creating the rift with Ukraine by bringing “Russophobes and pure Nazis” to power in Kyiv after the 2014 revolution. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield countered that Russia is looking for an excuse to invade Ukraine. She said the amassing of 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian and Belarusian borders constituted the largest European mobilization in decades. The UN Security Council did not take any action on Monday, but it allowed all of its members to speak at a meeting, opening the door for fiery debates.

Are the talks working? Nebenzia marched out of the chamber as soon as the Ukrainian representative rose to speak. The representative challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet in person with the Ukrainian president but said the country is prepared to defend itself if Russia forces military action. The White House announced it has sanctions packages prepared for Russian elites and family members in the Kremlin’s inner circles if hostilities worsen.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in The Stew about U.S. options to deter a Russian invasion.