WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak at the UN Security Council before his trip to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference, the State Department said Thursday.

"Blinken will deliver remarks on Russia’s threat to peace and security, at a UN Security Council Meeting at 10:00 a.m. EST (1500GMT) today, February 17, from UN Headquarters in New York City," according to the agency.

US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she asked Blinken to directly address the council and talk about "the serious situation" in Ukraine.

"Our goal is to convey the gravity of the situation. The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving toward an imminent invasion," Thomas-Greenfield wrote on Twitter.

"This is a crucial moment. Today’s Council meeting should not distract us from that. It should focus on what is happening right now in Ukraine," she added.

A senior Biden administration official said Wednesday that Russia has moved up to 7,000 forces to the Ukrainian border, countering claims by Moscow that it was pulling back some troops.