The United States and Russia staged a scandal with sharp mutual accusations at a UN meeting on Ukraine

On January 31, a meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine was held. Russia has accused the West of "stirring up tensions" over Ukraine and said the United States brought "pure Nazis" to power in Kiev. AP.

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US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded that Russia's growing military force, with more than 100 troops along Ukraine's borders, was the "biggest mobilization" in Europe in decades, adding that there has been a surge in cyberattacks and Russian disinformation.

“And they are trying, without any factual basis, to present Ukraine and Western countries as aggressors in order to fabricate a pretext for an attack,” she said.

Sharp skirmishes in the Security Council occurred after Moscow failed to block the meeting. It was the first open meeting at which all the participants in the Ukrainian crisis spoke publicly, although the most influential body of the UN did not take any action.

Within hours, the Russian government sent a written response to the US proposal aimed at de-escalating the crisis, according to three Biden administration officials. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity. A State Department spokesman declined to provide details of the response, saying "public talks would be unproductive" and that they would leave it up to Russia to discuss a counterproposal.

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While more high-level diplomacy is expected this week, talks between the US and Russia have so far failed to ease tensions over the crisis as the West says Moscow is preparing to invade. Russia denies planning an attack. It requires promises that Ukraine will never join NATO, an end to the deployment of NATO weapons near Russia's borders, and the withdrawal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe. NATO and the US call these demands illegitimate.

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the United States of interfering in his country's internal affairs and seeking "a classic example of megaphone diplomacy."

Thomas-Greenfield countered that over the past few weeks, the US has held more than 100 private meetings with Russian officials, as well as European and Ukrainian counterparts, and "the time has come" for a public discussion.

To Russia's assertion that the US called the meeting to make all members of the Council feel uncomfortable, she countered: "Imagine how uncomfortable you would be if you had 100 soldiers sitting on your border."

After the council gave the green light to the meeting, Nebenzya accused the Biden administration of "fueling tensions and provoking escalation."

“You almost root for it. You want it to happen. You are waiting for this to happen, as if you want your words to become reality, ”he said, looking at Thomas-Greenfield.

He blamed the US for the 2014 overthrow of the pro-Kremlin president in Kiev, saying it brought "nationalists, radicals, Russophobes and pure Nazis" to power and created the antagonism that exists between Ukraine and Russia.

Nebenzya defiantly walked out of the council hall when Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Kislitsa began to speak. “How long will Russia continue to put pressure, will carry out a clear attempt to drive Ukraine and its partners into a Kafkaesque trap?” asked Kislitsa.

The vote on holding an open meeting passed with a score of 10:2, Russia and China opposed, India, Gabon and Kenya abstained. Nine "yes" votes were required to hold the meeting.

The US and its allies pushed for a meeting on January 31, the last day of Norway's rotating chairmanship of the Council, before Russia takes over on February 1.

Any statement or resolution by the Security Council is highly unlikely, given Russia's veto power and its ties to other Council members, including China.

After all 15 Council members spoke, the US and Russia fell out again, with Thomas-Greenfield saying she was "disappointed" by Nebenzya's comments, stressing that Russian threats were "provocative."

US President Joe Biden said the meeting was "an important step in rallying the entire world to speak with one voice", renounce the use of force and seek military de-escalation.

At the start of a White House meeting with Qatar's ruling emir, Biden said the US was continuing to engage in "non-stop diplomacy" but "we're ready for whatever happens."

The State Department on January 31 ordered the families of American diplomats to leave Belarus, where Russia is moving troops, tanks and other equipment in what Moscow says is a military exercise.

Western officials fear that Russia could use Belarus as a springboard to invade neighboring Ukraine from the north, especially its capital, Kiev. Tens of thousands of other Russian troops are already deployed elsewhere along Ukraine's borders.

Belarus officials have already expelled most of the US embassy staff from the country, resulting in fewer family members being affected by the January 31 order. The US has also reduced its diplomatic presence in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken are expected to have a telephone conversation on February 1, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. A senior State Department official confirmed the Russian version.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit Ukraine on Feb. 1 for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and he will also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge him to "stand back," Johnson's office said. Johnson says he is considering sending hundreds of British troops to NATO countries in the Baltic region as a show of force.

Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress said on January 31 that they still disagree on the timing of the development of a bill on sanctions against Russia. The main stumbling block, lawmakers said, was the Republicans' push to impose sanctions on Russia's gas pipeline to Germany, Nord Stream 2, before any new Russian intervention in Ukraine occurs.

The Biden administration advocates postponing sanctions until any invasion, saying imposing sanctions on Nord Stream now could alienate an ally, Germany, and remove the deterrent power of this sanctions threat.

On Jan. 30, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez, said that in the event of an attack, lawmakers want Russia to face "the ultimate measure of all sanctions." This includes taking action against Russian banks, which could seriously undermine the Russian economy, and increasing aid to the Ukrainian military.

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said January 31 that the administration is encouraged by congressional bipartisan efforts to "hold Russia accountable." The administration has previously expressed concern that pre-emptive sanctions could weaken their impact on Russia, but the White House has warmed to the prospect as the Committee on Foreign Relations moves into action.

“We believe that sanctions can be an effective deterrent, and the deepening problems in the Russian market reflect our message to Russia,” Psaki said.

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