The United States has launched a fierce diplomatic condemnation of Russia, accusing it of a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation" in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The sharp rebuke came during an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Monday, 13 January 2026, at a critical juncture when the Trump administration is actively trying to advance negotiations towards a peaceful resolution.
Hypersonic Missile Launch Near NATO Border
US deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Tammy Bruce, singled out a particularly provocative act by Moscow. She highlighted Russia's launch last week of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile close to Ukraine's border with Poland, a member of the NATO alliance. This marked only the second time Moscow has deployed this powerful new hypersonic weapon, a move widely interpreted as a direct warning to Kyiv's Western allies.
The missile test was part of a large-scale overnight Russian bombardment last Thursday, which involved hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Ukraine had requested the UN meeting following these intense attacks, which targeted energy and other critical infrastructure, causing what the US described as a "staggering number of casualties."
A Diplomatic Chill Amid Peace Efforts
This military escalation occurred against a complex diplomatic backdrop. It came just days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress on plans to defend the country should a US-led peace deal be struck. Simultaneously, relations between Moscow and Washington have cooled further after Russia condemned the US seizure of an oil tanker in the North Atlantic.
Adding to the pressure, US President Donald Trump has signalled his support for a hard-hitting sanctions package designed to cripple the Russian economy. Despite these combined efforts, Moscow has shown no public willingness to soften its maximalist demands regarding Ukraine's future.
War of Words at the United Nations
The Security Council meeting revealed a deep and seemingly unbridgeable divide. Ambassador Bruce urged de-escalation, stating, "At a moment of tremendous potential, due only to President Trump’s unparalleled commitment to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate. Yet Russia’s action risks expanding and intensifying the war." She also reminded Russia that it had voted for a UN resolution calling for an end to the conflict nearly a year prior.
In a defiant response, Russia's UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, placed the blame squarely on Kyiv. He declared that until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "comes to his senses and agrees to realistic conditions for negotiations, we will continue solving the problem by military means." He warned that conditions for Kyiv would only worsen with time and that attacks on Russian civilians would elicit a stiff response.
Ukraine's envoy, Andriy Melnyk, countered by asserting Russia's vulnerability, pointing to a slowing economy and declining oil revenue. He dismissed Moscow's posturing as "smoke and mirrors, completely detached from reality." European leaders joined the condemnation, labelling the use of the Oreshnik missile as "escalatory and unacceptable."
