The Kremlin’s attacks against Ukraine today once again put the stakes of Russia’s brutal war into sharp relief. Russian bombs hit playgrounds and public parks in Kiev; Wave after wave of missiles hit the streets of the city of Kiev and damaged heating and non-military targets throughout Ukraine. I extend my deepest sympathy to the people of Ukraine who lost their loved ones today. The United States is with you.
Russia’s attacks are yet another reminder that its war against Ukraine presents a deep moral problem. No person of conscience – and no country of principle – could not be moved by the devastation of these horrors. Ukraine, like all other countries in the world, has the right to choose its future and live in peace within its internationally recognized borders.
These blows cannot break either the spirit of Ukraine or our determination to support Ukraine. The United States will continue to provide vital economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so that Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people. The international community has a responsibility to make it clear that the actions of President Putin are completely unacceptable. Now is the time to speak in support of Ukraine; this is not the time for abstentions, placating words, or equivocations under claims of neutrality. The fundamental principles of the UN Charter are at stake.
There is an aggressor in this war: Russia. There is only one country that is escalating this war through its attempts to annex the land of Ukraine and its repeated assaults on civilians: Russia. There is one person who can stop this war now and withdraw Russia’s forces: Vladimir Putin.
