Russia urges to vote against public session on Ukraine, accuses US of evoking hysteria

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations on Monday called on the U.N. Security Council to vote against holding a public meeting on the Ukraine crisis, criticizing what he called "megaphone diplomacy."

Vasily Nebenzya, speaking to the council, denounced what he said was interference in the domestic affairs of Russia, which has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders.

He also accused the United States of trying to "whip up hysteria" by pushing for a UN Security Council debate over Ukraine on Monday.

US representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield retorted that Moscow's deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine's borders justified the debate at the Security Council, which opened after Russia's push to cancel it was rejected with 10 out of 15 members backing Washington.