A 13th emergency meeting was held by the U.N. Security Council on Friday after a "swift halt of all violence" was demanded by Russia's ambassador due to the growing crisis in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.
However, Russia was accused by the Western powers of equipping and funding the pro-Russia forces that have seized government buildings in 10 eastern cities. The first major offensive was launched by Ukraine against the insurgency on Friday.
"Russia has released bands of thugs on Ukraine and is suddenly discovering this mixture might escape its control," French ambassador Gerard Araud said
Russia called this latest council meeting, the second in a week. Churkin called on Kiev and its Western "enablers to not commit a fatal error" and stop the offensive, which he described as "criminal misadventures."
But British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant retorted that "Russia's synthetic indignation convinces no one," and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Russia was "trying to insult the intelligence of the world community" by calling another urgent council meeting, according to the AP.
As Russia holds veto power as a permanent council member, the prospect for any council action on the crisis in Ukraine is highly unlikely.
Frustration soared, and Araud despaired at the council's "impotence."
"Peaceful protesters do not use grenade launchers," Lithuania's ambassador, Raimonda Murmokaite, said tartly. "They do not kidnap and shamelessly parade international observers."
Ukraine has reported "many" rebels dead and wounded in its first major offensive against the insurgency. The Kremlin said Kiev's military move has "destroyed" the two-week-old Geneva agreement on calming the crisis.
"In Washington, President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened tougher new sanctions against Russia if Moscow doesn't quickly change its disruptive behavior," the AP reported.
"U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement through his spokesman expressing 'grave concern' and urging both a diplomatic solution and a release of the OSCE monitors."
