The deadly missile and drone strikes on Ukraine "cast doubt on the seriousness of Russia's desire to achieve peace," the United States said today at a meeting of the UN Security Council and warned that Washington would punish Moscow with economic measures if it continues the war, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"The United States calls on the Russian Federation to avoid these consequences by stopping the violence and engaging constructively in ending the war," the US deputy permanent representative to the UN John Kelly told the Security Council.
"Russia must decide now to take a step towards peace. The leaders of Russia and Ukraine should agree to meet in a bilateral format," the US diplomat added.
The strikes on Kiev "call into question the seriousness of Russia's desire to achieve peace. These strikes on civilian areas must stop immediately," Kelly said.
"Russia continues to choose killing over stopping the war," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko told the 15-member Security Council.
"We must take this into account in our attempts to achieve a peaceful settlement and establish reliable security guarantees. These guarantees will protect both the sovereignty of Ukraine and the lives of Ukrainian citizens, especially children," she added.
"Our people must feel safe today. That is why the ceasefire remains an essential prerequisite for successful future negotiations," Sviridenko pointed out.
Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said that Moscow is ready to discuss a summit with Ukraine "provided that thorough preliminary preparation for such a meeting and the content of the talks is carried out". Otherwise, in his words, the meeting "would not make any sense".
The Russian diplomat pointed out that the US "is increasingly understanding the need to address the root causes of the conflict, without which its settlement would not be possible".
In February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a "special military operation" aimed at "denazifying" and "demilitarizing" the neighboring country, as well as to eliminate the threat of NATO expansion eastward to Russia's southern borders, Reuters points out.