MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia on Thursday accused the West of attempting to torpedo Moscow’s latest draft resolution on Ukraine and called on the UN Security Council to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the ex-Soviet country.

“Many Western members of the Security Council continue to look for various excuses to stall for as long as possible the work on the Russian draft which essentially opens the way for a real opportunity to launch the process of peacefully resolving the situation in Ukraine,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.

“We are calling on members of the Security Council to support the Russian draft and by doing so prove their commitment to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” Alexander Lukashevich told reporters in Moscow.

Last week Russia submitted a draft resolution on Ukraine at the Security Council demanding the United Nations play a greater role in resolving the crisis.

On Monday it circulated a new draft in a bid to get the divided Security Council to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the east of the ex-Soviet country.

The crisis in Ukraine has plunged Russia and the West into their worst stand-off since the Cold War with Kiev and its western allies blaming Moscow for backing separatist insurgents fighting in the east of the country.