Ukraine ready to turn to UN over Russian accusations of Crimea plot

Ukraine will ask the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting if tensions continue to rise over Russia’s accusations that Kiev orchestrated a plot to attack infrastructure in Crimea, the ambassador said Wednesday.

“We stand ready for any provocative developments,” Ukraine’s Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko told reporters.

“The convening of the Security Council is being considered,” he added. “As soon as it comes to the point, we will do it immediately.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Ukraine of waging “terror” over alleged attempted incursions into Crimea, ratcheting up tensions over the annexed territory.

Russia’s security agency announced it had thwarted “terrorist attacks” in Crimea by Ukrainian military intelligence and beaten back an armed assault, claims Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko dismissed as “senseless and cynical.”

As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Ukraine has the right to call a meeting on any matter considered to be a threat to international peace and security.

Since Ukraine joined the council in January, it has held only one meeting on the crisis in the country.

Yelchenko said he was ready to revive proposals for a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed to east Ukraine or for the creation of a special UN mission for Ukraine and the appointment of a special UN envoy.

Those proposals have failed to gain traction at the United Nations because of objections from Russia, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.