"Bloodbath in Donbass not intended" - Russia

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow remained open to diplomacy, and, quote, "allowing a new bloodbath in Donbas is something we do not intend to do".

But he said that Russia was "forced to note the extremely negative role played in all of this by our western colleagues led by the USA," adding that Western powers had been "openly egging Ukraine on" instead of forcing Kyiv to implement its obligations under the Minsk agreements.

His comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing them as independent on Monday, accelerating a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.

Russia denies any plan to attack its neighbor, but it has threatened unspecified "military-technical" action unless it receives sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.

Recognition of the separatist-held areas will narrow the diplomatic options to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany.