Russia on Monday delivered a confrontational message to the UN Security Council, asserting that Moscow will reject any peace settlement that compromises its core security interests as the conflict in Ukraine reaches the 4 1/2-year mark.
"There will be no agreements at the expense of Russia's security interests," Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Security Council.
He characterized recent calls for a ceasefire as a ruse, or a "ceasefire trap," intended only to allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm.
Nebenzya maintained that as long as the international community speaks to Moscow in the "language of ultimatums, terror, and threats," there can be no meaningful diplomatic dialogue.
Nebenzya criticized Western nations, accusing them of being enablers of conflict who arm Ukraine while claiming they are not participants. He mocked European colleagues for delivering "carbon-copy speeches" while encouraging Kyiv to ignore previous agreements.
Nebenzya accused Western countries of "consistently turning (Ukraine) into an instrument of military political pressure" on Moscow.
The meeting coincides with the anniversary of Ukraine's declaration of independence in 1991 and marks 4 1/2 years since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.
