Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin on Thursday said the military scenarios put forward by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken were "regrettable and dangerous."

At a UN Security Council meeting on the Ukraine tensions, Blinken laid out how Washington believes Russia would seek to "fabricate" a pretext to "invade" Ukraine, warning that Moscow was preparing to take such military action in the "coming days."

"It could be a fabricated so-called terrorist bombing inside Russia, the invented discovery of a mass grave, a staged drone strike against civilians, or a fake - even a real - attack using chemical weapons," Blinken said. "Russia may describe this event as ethnic cleansing, or a genocide."

Vershinin said that Blinken's talk was "dangerous" and that claims that Russia planned to "invade" Ukraine were "baseless," adding that some Russian troops were already pulling back from the border after completing exercises.

"We are ready ... for very serious dialogue, not imitation dialogue," he said.

At the same meeting, Vershinin also blamed the current situation on Kyiv's alleged violations of the 2015 Minsk cease-fire agreement aimed at bringing peace to the Donbass region.

"Ukraine stubbornly refuses to implement the provisions of the Minsk Agreements," Vershinin told the Council.

Russia on Thursday expelled U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman, the number two U.S. diplomat in Moscow, citing the U.S. expulsion of a senior Russian official in Washington, who Russia said was forced to leave before a replacement could be found as part of a U.S. "visa war."

The U.S. State Department said it would respond to the "unprovoked" move.

Russia on Thursday also accused Washington of not giving a "constructive response" to the basic points of a Moscow-drafted treaty with it on security guarantees.

"The demand that Russia withdraw troops from certain areas on its own territory, and the threat of tougher sanctions, are unacceptable and detrimental to the prospects for reaching real agreements," said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"With the absence of U.S. readiness to agree on firm and legally binding guarantees to ensure Russia's security from the West, Moscow will be forced to respond, including through the implementation of military-technical measures," said the ministry.

Trading accusations

Ukraine's government forces and rebels based in the country's eastern regions on Thursday traded accusations that each had fired across the cease-fire line in eastern Ukraine.

Details could not be established independently, but reports from both sides suggested an incident more serious than the routine cease-fire violations that are often reported in the area.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was "seriously concerned" about the reports.

During a visit to the frontline city of Mariupol in the conflict-hit eastern Ukraine, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country stands ready for talks with Russia to establish peace.

"I am ready for any format (of talks)," Zelenskyy told reporters.

He noted that Ukraine supports the initiatives of other countries that offer assistance in organizing a meeting with the Russian side.

While commenting on the prospects of Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has been one of the main concerns of Russia, Zelenskyy said that not all NATO members support Ukraine's accession.

At the same time, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that the possibility of putting the NATO issue to a referendum is not being considered.

Currently, the goal of NATO membership is enshrined in the Ukrainian Constitution.

Since November 2021, Kyiv and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion." Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation, stressing its right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as the NATO activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Combo photo of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a United Nations Security Council meeting in UN headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., February 17, 2022. /CFP)