United States has called on Russia to stop its attacks, to withdraw troops from Ukraine, and to commit to peace in 2023 over the full-scale invasion of the country since February 24th of last year.
State Department Spokesman, Ned Price made the call at the Press Briefing on Tuesday, while welcoming journalists to new year and reflecting on the events of the past year.
According to him, “Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th of last year, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, maimed, and wounded.
“And many have been victims of war crimes and other atrocities committed by Russia and Russian-backed forces in Putin’s unprovoked, needless, and brutal war”, Price said.
He added that since the Russia’s invasion millions have been displaced. “There are more than 5.9 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, and more than 7.8 million refugees from Ukraine have fled the country now”.
Price stated that the Kremlin has furthermore made life harder for families around the world by stymying essential food shipments from reaching developing countries and exacerbating volatility in the energy markets, which has affected supply chains and compounded inflation.
He futher said the Kremlin’s plans to splinter transatlantic unity have had the opposite effect, while looking forward to Finland and Sweden joining an expanded NATO Alliance, which is stronger and more purposeful than ever.
“EU and NATO member states remain fully committed to standing with and supporting Ukraine”.
He recalled that on December 29th, 2022, US President, Joe Biden signed the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act that will provide $44.9 billion in emergency funds to support Ukraine and other partners, and to address the global impacts of the war.
“While traditionally the holidays are a time of celebration and peace, Russia chose to ramp up its campaign to weaponize winter, subjecting the people of Ukraine to a barrage of missile and drone attacks on cities and critical infrastructure.
“But the Kremlin’s attempts to instill fear and hopelessness in the hearts of Ukrainians are failing. Amid the sounds of warning sirens and the uncertainty of daily life, the people of Ukraine honored their heroes and celebrated their successes on the battlefield.
“We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. As we have said, President Putin can choose to end this war today. We call on Russia to stop its attacks, to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and to commit to peace in 2023”, he said.
