© KEYSTONE/AP/Richard Drew
Russia and the United States tore at the UN Security Council on Monday over troops massed by Moscow on the Ukraine border, while Westerners are now threatening Russian oligarchs to make them pay for any military escalation .
The United States “continues to call for diplomacy” to resolve the crisis around Ukraine, but “we are ready no matter what,” US President Joe Biden warned on Monday.
The Security Council session was held at the request of the United States, and against the wishes of Russia. Ten of the 15 members of the Council voted in favor of this meeting which, far from showing a semblance of appeasement, turned into open confrontation.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of seeking to “create hysteria” and “deceive the international community” with “unfounded accusations”.
And he was happy to send the United States back to one of the most embarrassing chapters in its recent diplomatic and military history.
Vassily Nebenzia thus recalled that before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Washington had assured that it had evidence of weapons of mass destruction in this country, which have never been found.
His American counterpart Linda Thomas-Greenfield for his part estimated that the deployment of more than 100,000 Russian soldiers around Ukraine threatened “international security”. She accused Moscow of wanting to deploy in early February, “evidence” in support, more than 30,000 additional soldiers in Belarus, whose regime is very close to the Kremlin.
Oligarchs
At the same time, diplomatic maneuvers continue, as do preparations for sanctions.
The United States like the United Kingdom – which is one of the favorite investment grounds of the great Russian fortunes – said on Monday that they wanted to tap into the wallet the first circle and those close to the Kremlin.
Washington has prepared “specific sanctions measures against members of the Russian elite and their families” if Russia ever attacks Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday.
She pointed out that the oligarchs were “particularly vulnerable targets” for sanctions because of their very close financial ties with Western countries.
In London, the government will toughen its sanctions regime.
“We will ensure that those who share responsibility for the Kremlin’s aggressive and destabilizing action bear a heavy price,” warned British Foreign Minister Liz Truss.
They will risk the freezing of their assets in the United Kingdom and the impossibility of entering its territory. It will also be impossible for a company or individual in the UK to transact with them.
Moscow has already promised a “response”.
Macron
On the diplomatic front, Russian and French Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone on Monday for the second time in four days.
Vladimir Putin reiterated that he wanted “security guarantees” for his country.
Moscow is demanding that NATO close its door to any new member country from Eastern Europe, and in particular to Ukraine, a request deemed unacceptable by Westerners because it amounts to recognizing Russia’s sphere of reserved influence.
This key request was rejected by the United States in a written response to Moscow. The Kremlin said it was considering its reaction.
A telephone conversation, the first since this exchange of correspondence, will take place on Tuesday between the Russian and American foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken, according to Moscow and Washington.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Kiev on Tuesday where he will discuss with the Ukrainian President. “As a friend and a democratic partner, the UK will continue to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty against those who seek to destroy it,” Boris Johnson said in a statement from Downing Street.
“We urge Russia to back down and engage in dialogue to find a diplomatic solution and avoid further bloodshed,” said the leader, who hopes to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Boot noises
On the military front, movements also continue. Several Western countries have announced in recent days the dispatch of new contingents to Eastern Europe.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will propose this week to NATO a deployment of troops to respond to the rise of “Russian hostility” towards Ukraine.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are expected in Kiev this week.
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand, whose country provides military assistance to Ukraine, arrived there on Sunday for a two-day visit. She announced the movement of Canadian military troops to western Ukraine.