WASHINGTON, February 19. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov on Friday said US accusations that Russia is escalating the situation around Ukraine are an attempt to play down Moscow’s security proposals.

"I would like first of all to draw the attention to repeated statements by the Russian leadership that we don’t have any aggressive plans toward the brotherly people of Ukraine," the diplomat said on the embassy’s Facebook page. "The statements that Russia is responsible for the escalation can’t be treated as anything else but an attempt to apply pressure and devalue Russia’s proposals on security guarantees."

"Nonetheless, the US continues to feed downright lies to the public," he went on to say. "Especially baffling is the false narrative by US officials regarding the evacuation of citizens from the territory of the LPR and DPR."

"Our readiness to accommodate peaceful residents of Donbass who fear for their lives is taken by Washington as an element of propaganda designed to justify an ‘imminent invasion’ of Ukraine," Antonov said. "These statements are another round of the American disinformation campaign against Russia."

There has been a flurry of statements in the West and Kiev lately that Russia could invade Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they were unsubstantiated escalation and that Russia doesn’t threaten anyone. At the same time, he didn’t rule out provocations to corroborate these Western statements and warned that the use of force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine will have serious consequences.