The Security Council is meeting on Monday on the Ukrainian crisis at the request of Washington which, with its NATO allies, is stepping up its efforts to dissuade Moscow from invading Ukraine, while preparing new sanctions against Russia.
A clear threat to international peace and security
“More than 100,000 Russian troops are deployed on the Ukrainian border and Russia is engaging in other acts of destabilization targeting Ukraine, which constitutes a clear threat to international peace and security and the Charter of the United Nations” , said a few days ago the American ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Faced with the threat of an invasion, Kiev on Sunday called on Russia to withdraw its troops massed along the border between the two countries and to continue dialogue with the West if it “seriously” wants a de-escalation of tensions.
The United States and the United Kingdom have meanwhile brandished the threat of new sanctions against Russia.
London has indicated that it wants to target Russian interests “which directly interest the Kremlin”.
In Washington, two elected Democrats and Republicans said that Congress was close to an agreement on a bill providing for new economic sanctions against Russia.
Targeting the strategic Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany
Among the arsenal of sanctions mentioned, the United Kingdom and the United States plan to target the strategic Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, or even Russian access to transactions in dollars, the main currency in international trade.
Russia has been accused since the end of 2021 of having massed up to 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border in preparation for an attack. Moscow denies any project in this direction, while demanding written guarantees for its security, including the rejection of Ukraine’s membership of NATO and the end of the military reinforcement of the Atlantic Alliance in the East.
This key request was rejected by the United States this week in a written response to Moscow. The Kremlin said it is still considering its reaction.
At the same time, several Western countries have announced in recent days the dispatch of new contingents to Eastern Europe.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are expected in Kiev this week.