On Monday, the U.S. accused Russia of 'dangerous and unexplained' escalation of the war in Ukraine amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to promote peace negotiations, LETA reported citing AP.
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on peace and security issues in Ukraine, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce particularly emphasized Russia's launch of the medium-range ballistic missile "Oreshnik" at the Lviv region, which occurred on Friday night.
Bruce stated that the U.S. expresses regret over the "staggering number of casualties" in this war and condemns Russia's intensified strikes on Ukraine's energy and other infrastructure.
Ukraine called for a UN Security Council meeting following Russia's massive attack on Friday night, during which hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles were used, including the "Oreshnik" missile, which Russia had employed for only the second time.
This attack came just days after Ukraine and its allies reported significant progress in reaching an agreement to protect Ukraine from further aggression by Russia after a peace settlement.
It also followed another deterioration in relations between the U.S. and Russia after Washington condemned Moscow for seizing an oil tanker in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Leaders of European countries condemned the strike with the "Oreshnik" missile as "escalatory and unacceptable," and Bruce gave a similarly harsh assessment on Monday.
"At a moment of enormous potential, created solely by President Trump's desire to achieve peace worldwide, both sides must seek ways to de-escalate. However, Russia's actions carry the risk of expanding and intensifying the war," Bruce stated.
She reminded Russia that it voted a year ago for a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.
"It would be good if Russia's words matched its actions. In the spirit of this resolution, Russia, Ukraine, and Europe should seriously strive for peace and put an end to this nightmare," Bruce added.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya stated that Russia "will continue to address the issue by military means" until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "comes to his senses and agrees to realistic negotiation terms."
"He has been warned long ago (...) that the terms of negotiations will only get worse for him," Nebenzya said. "And every vile strike against Russian civilians will provoke a harsh response."
Ukraine's UN Ambassador Andriy Melnyk stated that Russia is currently in its worst position since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, as its economic growth slows and oil revenues decline.
"Russia wants to convince this council and the entire UN community of its invincibility, but this is yet another illusion," the ambassador stated. "The carefully constructed image of strength is nothing more than a deception and an illusion, completely detached from reality."
