Finance
US President Joe Biden said that Washington “strongly condemns” Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kiev, and that they demonstrated the “utter brutality of Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”
In a statement issued by the White House on Monday, Biden said: “These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose… These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The President added that the US and it allies will “continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom”.
“We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine,” Biden was quoted as saying in the statement.
The President’s remarks came just hours after multiple missile strikes hit Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, which was hit for the first time since the conflict began on February 24.
According to Ukrainian officials, 83 missiles were launched, with over 43 of them being shot down.
According to the BBC, at least 14 people were killed and scores more were injured.
After missiles struck energy infrastructure, several regions were left without power and water.
Residents in Kiev said Russia appeared to be targeting civilian areas, including a children’s playground, a university, and the popular Taras Shevchenko park, which were busy with Monday morning commuters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Monday’s strikes by saying they were in retaliation for the October 8 explosion on a key bridge connecting Russia and Crimea.
According to the White House, Biden was one of many foreign leaders who spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenksy, during which the American President “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.”
The US President also “underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance”.
Later in the day, Zelensky said in a video address to the nation: “Restoration work is currently underway across the country. We will restore all objects that were damaged by today’s attack by Russian terrorists. It’s only a matter of time.
“Out of 84 Russian missiles launched against Ukraine, 43 were shot down. Out of 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down.
“The danger is still there. But we are fighting… Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped. We are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralised.
“Now the occupiers are not capable of opposing us on the battlefield already, that is why they resort to this terror. Well, we’ll make the battlefield even more excruciating for the enemy. And we will restore everything that was destroyed.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the missile strikes, calling them “another unacceptable escalation of the war” with civilians bearing the brunt of the consequences.
According to the European Union, a war crime was committed, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia represented terror and brutality.
Source:OCN
