Blinken calls out Russia for "sham referenda" to annex parts of Ukraine and "reckless nuclear threats"

United Nations — At a meeting intended to be a face-to-face confrontation between top diplomats from the United States, Russia and Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a tough message to Russia and world powers that "reckless nuclear threats must stop immediately." 

His remarks echoed the speech President Biden delivered to the U.N. on Wednesday, in which Mr. Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "making irresponsible threats to use nuclear weapons." Just hours earlier, Putin ordered the partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of additional Russian troops and suggested the possible use of nuclear weapons. 

In his Thursday speech, Blinken also quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose pre-recorded remarks were played in the General Assembly Hall on Wednesday, saying "diplomacy is the only way to end this war."