US accuses Russia of ‘dangerous’, ‘inexplicable escalation’ of war in Ukraine as Trump seeks peace

The United States has accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of its nearly four-year war in Ukraine at a time when the Trump administration is trying to advance negotiations toward peace.

US deputy ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce on Monday singled out Russia's launch of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile last week close to Ukraine's border with Poland, a NATO ally.

She told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the United States deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemns Russia's intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.

Ukraine called for the meeting after last Thursday's overnight Russian bombardment with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including the powerful, new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, which Moscow used for only the second time in what was a clear warning to Kyiv's NATO allies.

The large-scale attack came days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress toward agreeing on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck.

The attack also coincided with a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington after Russia condemned the US seizure of an oil tanker in the North Atlantic. And it came as US President Donald Trump signalled he is on board with a hard-hitting sanctions package meant to economically cripple Russia. Moscow has given no public signal it is willing to budge from its maximalist demands on Ukraine. And Russia's UN ambassador on Monday blamed the diplomatic impasse on Ukraine.

Europe's leaders condemned the attack using the Oreshnik as “escalatory and unacceptable,” and US envoy Bruce was equally tough on Monday.

“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,” she said. “Yet Russia's action risks expanding and intensifying the war.”

Bruce reminded Russia that nearly a year ago it voted in favour of a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.