Russia accused the West on Monday of 맥스카지노�whipping up tensions맥스카지노� over Ukraine and said the U.S. had brought 맥스카지노�pure Nazis맥스카지노� to power in Kyiv as the U.N. Security Council held a stormy and bellicose debate on Moscow's troop buildup near its southern neighbor.U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield shot back that Russia's growing military force of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine맥스카지노�s borders was 맥스카지노�the largest mobilization" in Europe in decades, adding that there has been a spike in cyberattacks and Russian disinformation.맥스카지노�And they are attempting, without any factual basis, to paint Ukraine and Western countries as the aggressors to fabricate a pretext for attack,맥스카지노� she said.The harsh exchanges in the Security Council came as Moscow lost an attempt to block the meeting and reflected the gulf between the two nuclear powers. It was the first open session where all protagonists in the Ukraine crisis spoke publicly, even though the U.N.'s most powerful body took no action.Although more high-level diplomacy is expected this week, talks between the U.S. and Russia have so far failed to ease tensions in the crisis, with the West saying Moscow is preparing for an invasion. Russia denies it is planning to attack. It demands pledges that Ukraine will never join NATO, a halt to the deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders and a rollback of the alliance's forces from Eastern Europe. NATO and the U.S. call those nonstarters.Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the Biden administration of 맥스카지노�whipping up tensions and rhetoric and provoking escalation.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�You are almost pulling for this,맥스카지노� he said, looking at Thomas-Greenfield. 맥스카지노�You want it to happen. You맥스카지노�re waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality.맥스카지노�He blamed the U.S. for the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, saying it brought to power 맥스카지노�nationalists, radicals, Russophobes and pure Nazis,맥스카지노� and created the antagonism that exists between Ukraine and Russia.맥스카지노�If they hadn맥스카지노�t done this, then we to date would be living in a spirit of good neighborly relations and mutual cooperation,맥스카지노� Nebenzia said. 맥스카지노�However, some in the West just don맥스카지노�t clearly like this positive scenario. What맥스카지노�s happening today is yet another attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and Ukraine.맥스카지노�Nebenzia pointedly left the council chamber as the Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya started to speak. 맥스카지노�How long Russia will pressure, will pursue a clear attempt to push Ukraine and its partners into a Kafka trap?맥스카지노� Kyslytsva asked.The vote on holding an open meeting passed 10-2, with Russia and China opposed, and India, Gabon and Kenya abstaining. Nine 맥스카지노�yes" votes were needed for the meeting to go ahead.China맥스카지노�s Ambassador Zhang Jun said he voted against the public meeting because 맥스카지노�what is urgently needed now is quiet diplomacy, not megaphone diplomacy.맥스카지노�The U.S. and its allies had pressed to hold the meeting Monday, the last day of Norway's rotating presidency of the council, before Russia takes over Tuesday for the month of February.Any statement or resolution by the Security Council is extremely unlikely, given Russia맥스카지노�s veto power and its ties with others on the council, including China.After all 15 council members spoke, the U.S. and Russia sparred again, with Thomas-Greenfield saying she was 맥스카지노�disappointed맥스카지노� in Nebenzia맥스카지노�s comments, stressing that Russian threats of aggression are 맥스카지노�provocative.맥스카지노�맥스카지노�I say to Russia simply this: Your actions will speak for themselves,맥스카지노� the U.S. envoy said.Nebenzia shot back: 맥스카지노�Everything that we wanted to say is in our statement today. However, we really just don맥스카지노�t understand what threats and provocations and escalation by Russia is being talked about.맥스카지노�President Joe Biden said in a statement that the meeting was 맥스카지노�a critical step in rallying the world to speak out in one voice맥스카지노� to reject the use of force, seek military de-escalation, support diplomacy and demand accountability from every member 맥스카지노�to refrain from military aggression against its neighbors.맥스카지노�At the start of a White House meeting with the ruling emir of Qatar, Biden said the U.S. continues to engage in 맥스카지노�nonstop diplomacy,맥스카지노� but "we are ready no matter what happens.맥스카지노�Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not make any visible progress in easing the tensions at their meeting in Geneva earlier this month. They are expected to speak by phone Tuesday, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. A senior State Department official confirmed the Russian account.Biden warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call Thursday that there is a 맥스카지노�distinct possibility맥스카지노� Russia could begin an incursion in February, but the Ukrainian leader sought to play down the war fears, saying Western alarm over an imminent invasion has prompted many investors in the country맥스카지노�s financial markets to cash out.Zelenskyy said Friday that 맥스카지노�we aren맥스카지노�t seeing any escalation bigger than before,맥스카지노� and charged that the Russian buildup could be an attempt by Moscow to exert 맥스카지노�psychological pressure맥스카지노� and sow panic.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit Ukraine on Tuesday for talks with Zelenskyy, and will also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge him to 맥스카지노�step back,맥스카지노� Johnson맥스카지노�s office said. Johnson says he is considering sending hundreds of British troops to NATO countries in the Baltic region as a show of strength.Speaking Sunday on ABC맥스카지노�s 맥스카지노�This Week,맥스카지노� Thomas-Greenfield said of Russia: 맥스카지노�We맥스카지노�re going into the room prepared to listen to them, but we맥스카지노�re not going to be distracted by their propaganda.맥스카지노�She said last week that council members 맥스카지노�must squarely examine the facts and consider what is at stake for Ukraine, for Russia, for Europe, and for the core obligations and principles of the international order should Russia further invade Ukraine.맥스카지노�On Friday, China's ambassador Zhang said both sides have shown willingness to continue negotiations and should be allowed to continue.On Sunday, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez, said that in the event of an attack, lawmakers want Russia to face 맥스카지노�the mother of all sanctions.맥스카지노� That includes actions against Russian banks that could severely undermine the Russian economy and increased lethal aid to Ukraine맥스카지노�s military.The sanctions under consideration would apparently be significantly stronger than those imposed after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Those penalties have been seen as ineffective.Menendez also raised the prospect of imposing punishments preemptively, before any invasion.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the administration was encouraged by the bipartisan effort in Congress "to hold Russia accountable.맥스카지노� The administration has previously expressed concern that preemptive sanctions could diminish their leverage on Russia, but the White House sounded warmer to the prospect as the Foreign Relations Committee moves to act.맥스카지노�Our view is that sanctions can be an effective tool of deterrence, and the deepening sell-off in Russian markets reflects our message to Russia,맥스카지노� Psaki said.___Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow, Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.