WASHINGTON (NBC News) — Russia forcefully denied at a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday that it aims to invade Ukraine, accusing the U.S. of whipping up tensions to foment war.
“The discussions about a threat of war is provocative in and of itself,” Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said. “You are almost calling for this. You want it to happen. You’re waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality.”
The Russian ambassador’s remarks came as the U.S. and allies confronted Russia over its military buildup on Ukraine’s borders, calling the massing of troops a threat to the international order and urging Moscow to de-escalate tensions through negotiations.
In response to Russia’s allegation, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said she could not let the “false equivalency go unchecked.”