US accuses Russia of 'dangerous' escalation of war in Ukraine

The United States on Monday accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to advance negotiations toward peace.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Monday, US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce singled out Russia’s launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile last week, close to Ukraine’s border with Poland, a NATO ally.

She told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the United States deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemns Russia’s intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.

According to Bruce, the attacks came “At a moment of tremendous potential; due only to President Trump’s unparalleled commitment to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate.“ Yet Russia’s action risks expanding and intensifying the war,” she said.

Bruce reminded Russia that nearly a year ago, it voted in favour of a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

“It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds,” Bruce said. “In the spirit of that resolution, Russia, Ukraine and Europe must pursue peace seriously and bring this nightmare to an end.”

Monday's UN Security Council meeting had been called by Ukraine, following last Thursday’s overnight Russian bombardment with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including the powerful, new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, which Moscow used for only the second time in what was a clear warning to Kyiv’s NATO allies.

The large-scale attack came days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress toward agreeing on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck.

The attack also coincided with a chill in relations between Moscow and Washington after Russia condemned the US seizure of an oil tanker in the North Atlantic last Wednesday.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic “can only lead to a further escalation of military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as a visible lowering of the ‘threshold for the use of force’ against peaceful shipping.”

Despite months-long peace talks between the Trump administration and Russia, Moscow has given no public signal that it is willing to budge from its maximalist demands on Ukraine.

On Monday, Russia’s UN ambassador blamed the diplomatic impasse on Ukraine. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council that until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “comes to his senses and agrees to realistic conditions for negotiations, we will continue solving the problem by military means.”

“He was warned long ago, with each passing day, each day that he squanders, the conditions for negotiations will only get worse for him,” Nebenzia said. “Similarly, each vile attack on Russian civilians will elicit a stiff response.”

In response. Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Andriy Melnyk countered that Russia is more vulnerable now than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its economy is slowing, and oil revenue is down.

“Russia wants to sell to this council and the whole U.N. family the impression that it is invincible, but this is another illusion,” he told the council. “The carefully staged image of strength is nothing but smoke and mirrors, completely detached from reality.”

The latest twist in the diplomatic engagements between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine comes as US President Donald Trump signalled he is on board with a hard-hitting sanctions package meant to economically cripple Russia.

European leaders have also slammed Russia for last week's deadly attack, saying the Oreshnik was “escalatory and unacceptable”.

Four people were killed, and 25 were injured in the attack, the second time Moscow has used the Oreshnik missile.

The first time was in November 2024 when Russia launched the Oreshnik ballistic missile strike on the central city of Dnipro.