Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Russia clashed fiercely with the United States on Monday at a United Nations Security Council meeting convened to address the crisis in Ukraine, where Moscow has placed thousands of troops and spurred fears of an invasion.
U.S. officials requested the Security Council meeting as a move by the international community to dissuade Russia from any plans of invading Ukraine.
In her opening remarks, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned Moscow against military intervention -- and emphasized that the United States and Western allies want a "path of peace" and dialogue.
"We do not want confrontation. But we will be decisive, swift and united should Russia further invade Ukraine," she said.
"[Russia is] attempting, without any factual basis, to paint Ukraine and Western countries as the aggressors to fabricate a pretext for attack."
"We also know that diplomacy will not succeed in an atmosphere of threat and military escalation," she added. "That is why we have brought this situation before the Security Council."
Thomas-Greenfield said previously that she didn't expect Russian diplomats to be cooperative at Monday's meeting.
In his remarks, Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vasily Nebenzya denied that there are plans to invade Ukraine and said the idea is merely part of "hysterics" cooked up by the United States.
"You're waiting for it to happen as if you want your words to become a reality," Nebenzya said in response, adding that the United States is "provoking" the situation.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the United States of creating such an uproar in Ukraine that "people are almost packing front-line bags."
"This is obvious and this is a fact," he said, according to state-run TASS news agency. "This is the downside of this very malicious and damaging campaign being run by Washington."
The meeting comes after months of Moscow's steady troop buildup along its eastern border with Ukraine. U.S. and Western officials have long been concerned about a possible invasion, perhaps along similar lines as Moscow's annexation of Crimea eight years ago.
Moscow has repeatedly said that it doesn't plan to invade Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, but Western leaders and some analysts have expressed concern about Russia's military movements -- noting that they bear some of the hallmarks of incursion.
The U.S. State Department on Monday evening ordered family members of U.S. government employees from the U.S. Embassy in Belarus and warned American citizens not to travel due to "an increase in unusual and concerning Russian military activity near the border with Ukraine."
U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged a serious response if Russia entered Ukraine, which is an aspiring NATO member. Moscow has long opposed Ukraine's admittance to the defense alliance.
"The United States presented in detail the full nature of Russia's threat to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we made clear to the international community the full implications of that threat," Biden said in a White House statement that was released during the meeting Monday.
"If Russia is sincere about addressing our respective security concerns through dialogue, the United States and our Allies and partners will continue to engage in good faith. If instead Russia chooses to walk away from diplomacy and attack Ukraine, Russia will bear the responsibility, and it will face swift and severe consequences."
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Moscow's first deputy permanent representative to the United States, posted a message to Twitter on Sunday downplaying the Security Council meeting -- and suggested that the United States and other Western nations are more worried about Russia's troop buildup than Ukraine is.
"How thoughtful of our U.S. friends. Russia doesn't worry about the attack," Polyanskiy wrote. "Ukraine doesn't worry either (we are allegedly 'encouraging them not to'), only U.S. is vigilant. Looks like according to [Thomas-Greenfield], SC is a club of worried people with U.S. telling them what to worry about."
The Russian military announced Monday that troops along its southern and western military bases near Ukraine will return to their barracks after exercises.
"The world must be clear-eyed about the actions Russia is threatening and ready to respond to the risks those actions present to all of us," Biden added. "Today's Security Council meeting is a critical step in rallying the world to speak out in one voice: rejecting the use of force, calling for military de-escalation, supporting diplomacy as the best path forward, and demanding accountability from every member state to refrain from military aggression against its neighbors."
Diplomatic efforts are expected to continue, as well. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to engage in more talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week.
The United States on Monday said it has received a written response to the United States; written proposal to de-escalate the tensions.
"We can confirm we received a written follow-up from Russia," a State Department official told The Washington Post. "It would be unproductive to negotiate in public, so we'll leave it up to Russia if they want to discuss their response."
