The UN Security Council was due to meet in public on Monday, at the request of the United States, to discuss Russia’s troop build-up on the border with Ukraine.
This comes as international diplomacy aimed at easing tensions moves to the world body in New York.
The United States describes the meeting of the 15-member body as a chance for Russia to explain itself, while Russia signaled it could try and block it.
Nine votes are needed for the meeting to proceed and Washington is “confident” it has sufficient support.
Analysts say there will likely be no action by the council — even if Russia were to invade Ukraine since a simple statement needs consensus support and Russia could veto any bid for a resolution.
Russia is one of five permanent, veto-wielding powers on the council along with the United States, France, Britain and China. The Security Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security.
One day after the meeting, Russia is set to assume the council’s rotating presidency for February.
Russia has massed some 120,000 troops near its neighbour and demanded the western defence alliance withdraw troops and weapons from Eastern Europe and bar Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining the Western defence alliance.
US officials have said Russia’s military buildup has expanded to include supplies to treat casualties of any conflict. Across the border in Ukraine, locals trained as army reservists as the government scrambled to prepare.
Moscow denies any plan to invade but said on Sunday it would ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to implement key security commitments.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
