Ukraine War Ignites Conflict Between Washington and Moscow Representatives at the UN Security Council

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, urged his American counterpart at the UN Security Council, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, not to theorize about the morality of invading other countries. The Russian envoy accused Thomas-Greenfield of lying, describing her comments about the Russian army shelling kindergartens in Ukraine as false. The Russian diplomat stated, "It is difficult for us to compete with the United States in invading neighboring countries. I will not list the aggressions committed by the United States throughout its history." Nebenzya questioned whether his American counterpart had the right to lecture others on morality, saying, "Do you have the right to give us moral lessons?" On the morning of February 24, Russia launched a special military operation to disarm Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address to Russian citizens, stated that the circumstances "require us to take decisive and immediate actions" to assist the residents of Donbas.