US, Russia, Ukraine face off at crucial UN Security Council meeting

 

The UN Security Council is meeting to discuss the Ukraine crisis, with Washington threatening to impose harsh sanctions on Moscow in the event of an invasion by Russia.

With tensions soaring, the United States said it was prepared to push back against any "disinformation" Moscow put forward in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched United Nations sessions in years. (Reuters)

The UN Security Council is set to meet for the first time on Russia’s troop build-up and threatening actions against Ukraine at the request of the United States.

All key players are expected to square off in public on Monday over the possibility of a Russian invasion and its global impact.

With tensions soaring, the United States said it was prepared to push back against any "disinformation" Moscow put forward in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched United Nations sessions in years.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield previously said Russia’s actions pose “a clear threat to international peace and security and the UN Charter”.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky responded angrily, tweeting: “Hopefully fellow UNSC members will not support this clear PR stunt shameful for the reputation of UN Security Council.”

 

I can’t recall another occasion when a SC member proposed to discuss its own baseless allegations and assumptions as a threat to intl order from someone else. Hopefully fellow UNSC members will not support this clear PR stunt shameful for the reputation of UN Security Council https://t.co/2HCjnQh0ic

— Dmitry Polyanskiy (@Dpol_un) January 28, 2022

Crunch meeting

Polyansky’s reaction indicated that Russia may start the meeting asking for a procedural vote on whether it should go ahead. To block the meeting, Russia would need support from nine of the 15 members.

A senior official in the Biden administration said the United States is in regular contact with council members and is “confident” that there is “more than sufficient support” to hold the meeting.

Assuming the meeting goes ahead, the council will first hear a briefing by a senior UN official followed by statements from its 15 members, including Russia, the United States and European members France, Ireland, United Kingdom and Albania. Ukraine will also speak.

China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun, whose country has close ties to Russia, indicated Beijing supports Moscow in opposing a council meeting.

“Both sides have shown willingness to continue their negotiations,” he told several reporters on Friday. “Let them settle the differences through dialogue, through negotiations.”

 

 

Rhetoric over sanctions

The head of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, rejected on Sunday Western warnings about an invasion, but the United States and Britain flagged on Sunday new and "devastating" economic sanctions as tensions rose.

The Kremlin denounced what Britain said were plans to target "any company of interest to the Kremlin and the regime in Russia could be targeted" in order to deter Moscow from invading Ukraine and vowed to retaliate if need be.

"This is a very worrying statement from London, not only for our companies. This demonstrates a fair amount of unpredictability on the part of London and is a cause for serious concern f or international financial structures," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Analysts say an array of sanctions hitting Russian banks and financial institutions would not only affect daily life throughout Russia but could roil major economies in Europe and elsewhere.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies 

Social media is bold.

Social media is young.

Social media raises questions.

 Social media is not satisfied with an answer.

Social media looks at the big picture.

 Social media is interested in every detail.

social media is curious.

 Social media is free.

Social media is irreplaceable.

But never irrelevant.

Social media is you.

(With input from news agency language)

 If you like this story, share it with a friend!  

We are a non-profit organization. Help us financially to keep our journalism free from government and corporate pressure