US Prepares New Military Aid Package for Ukraine and Convenes UN Security Council Over Russian Invasion Threat

US Deputy Secretary of State threatens to halt Nord Stream 2.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US will continue providing military aid to Ukraine: “We have already made three shipments, there will be more.” 

He noted that the US is preparing a new defense aid package and that the Pentagon is looking for ways to speed up this aid. 

Regarding air defense and missile defense systems, Kirby noted that an American team of experts has been studying Ukraine’s needs for such weapons. He clarified that he cannot list, “from the podium,” the types of weapons the US has provided to Ukraine. 

John Kirby
Pentagon spokesman

I think you have to understand why we want to be careful about publicly advertising the capabilities that have been provided to Ukraine, given the size, scale and capabilities directed against it on the other side of the border. 

US Convenes UN Security Council

The US is convening a UN Security Council meeting over “Russia’s threatening behavior” and “buildup of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine and in Belarus.” 

Linda Thomas-Greenfield
US Permanent Representative to the UN

After weeks of close consultations with Ukraine and partners in the Security Council, the United States has convened an open Security Council meeting to discuss a matter of extreme importance to international peace and security: Russia’s threatening behavior against Ukraine and the buildup of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine and in Belarus. <...> Security Council members must carefully examine the facts and consider what is at stake for Ukraine, Russia and Europe, as well as the core commitments and principles of the international order in the event of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

The meeting is scheduled for January 31. In a statement, Thomas-Greenfield said that “the UN Security Council is a decisive venue for diplomacy,” which is why diplomatic efforts continue “to de-escalate tensions in the face of this serious threat to European and global peace and security.” 

The document notes: “This is not a moment to wait and watch. The Council’s full attention is needed now, and we look forward to a direct and purposeful discussion on Monday.” 

Threat to Halt Nord Stream 2

The US Deputy Secretary of State said the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project will be halted if Russia attacks Ukraine. 

“If Russia invades Ukraine, then one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,” said Victoria Nuland, adding that this statement is based on US consultations with Germany. 

According to her, the US and its allies are united in their determination to respond “quickly and decisively” to Russia in the event of an attack. Nuland also expressed hope that Moscow will return to negotiations after studying Washington’s response to its proposals on security in Europe. 

Zelensky and Biden Dispute

According to an anonymous “senior Ukrainian official,” US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued during a phone call about how serious the threat of a Russian invasion is, reports CNN. 

According to the source, the presidents’ conversation was lengthy and frank, but went “not very smoothly.” The outlet writes that Biden told Zelensky there is a threat of a Russian attack in the near future and that an invasion is almost certain as soon as the ground freezes sufficiently later in February. 

Zelensky, however, insisted that the threat from Russia is “dangerous but not unambiguous” and that there is no certainty an attack will happen. The source said Biden reportedly said the US would not provide significantly more military aid. 

The White House disagreed with this description of the conversation. National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said the anonymous source “leaked false information.”

Emily Horne
National Security Council spokesperson

President Biden said there is a clear likelihood that Russia could invade Ukraine in February. He has already said so publicly, and we have been warning about this for months. Reports of anything else, or that differ, are completely false. 

According to her, the presidents’ conversation lasted one hour and 20 minutes. Biden told Zelensky that a Russian invasion was potentially possible in February, but did not say it would definitely happen. 

Ukraine’s Reaction

An adviser to the head of the Presidential Office said that reports about the conversation between the US and Ukrainian presidents citing anonymous sources “completely diverge from the facts.” 

Mykhailo Podolyak
adviser to the head of the Presidential Office

Official statements about the content of the conversation were published right after the presidents spoke. Right after the first false descriptions of the presidents’ conversation appeared, official refutations of those descriptions were also published. These are facts. Unfortunately, almost every day reports citing anonymous sources appear that completely diverge from reality. This is, of course, a manifestation of various information and propaganda wars.

According to him, precisely such fakes are one of the main fuels of tension; they push war as an idea. In fact, the presidents’ conversation was “very constructive and businesslike, it concerned specific practical matters.”