Russia Tells UN It Will Achieve Ukraine Operation Goals, Prefers Diplomacy

Overview

• Russia’s UN representative Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow will reach its objectives in Ukraine “in any case,” framing the only question as the military or diplomatic route.
• He stated a preference for a diplomatic outcome but argued that conditions for talks do not exist due to what he called the disruptive actions of European “hawks.”
• Nebenzya warned that any armed clash between Russia and European countries would “hardly be local,” saying such escalation would put the fate of the world at stake.
• He asserted that the operation’s goals contain nothing beyond what a peaceful state would expect from its neighbors and presented the effort as compelled by earlier NATO actions.
• He said Russia had sought to avert a severe European security crisis from the outset and expressed thanks to U.S. colleagues whom he described as urging this view on European governments.