US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Brussels for a conference of NATO foreign ministers in order to rally support for increased sanctions against Russia's leadership for war crimes.
The conference will look into the necessity for new sanctions and aid in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine's next phase of resistance. Attacks against civilians, according to Mr. Blinken, were foreseen by the US government and come as no surprise to the State Department.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says, “Before the aggression that we anticipated that if it went forward, there would be atrocities committed. Information that we've seen going into the aggression suggested that this would be part of the Russian campaign. Horrifically, tragically what we're seeing in the future and in other places supports that.”
President Putin's ruthless and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine will be discussed by NATO Foreign Ministers gathering in Brussels this week, April 6–7. Allies are bolstering their support for Ukraine's right to self-defense, including anti-tank weapons, air defense systems, and other equipment, as well as greater humanitarian and financial help.
"Moscow's goals in Ukraine are not going away." "We are now seeing a considerable movement of soldiers away from Kyiv to regroup, rearm, and resupply and they are shifting their focus to the east," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated before the summit today.
"It is a war crime to target and murder civilians." Mr. Stoltenberg continued, reflecting on the awful photographs of murdered civilians in Bucha and other places, "All the facts must be established, and all those responsible for these atrocities must be brought to justice."
Foreign Ministers from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and the European Union, as well as NATO's Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea - will be in attendance.
"It is even more important for democracies to stand together and protect our values at a time when authoritarian powers are pushing back against the rules-based international order," Mr. Stoltenberg said.
"It is a war crime to target and murder civilians." Mr. Stoltenberg continued, reflecting on the awful photographs of murdered civilians in Bucha and other places, "All the facts must be established, and all those responsible for these atrocities must be brought to justice."
Foreign Ministers from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and the European Union, as well as NATO's Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea - will be in attendance.
"It is even more important for democracies to stand together and protect our values at a time when authoritarian powers are pushing back against the rules-based international order," Mr Stoltenberg said.
The development of NATO's next Strategic Concept, which will guide the Alliance's adaptation to the new global security reality, will also be discussed by Allied Foreign Ministers. They are also scheduled to sign a Charter outlining how the new Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) will assist in the harnessing of transatlantic innovation.
To stop the Russian force's aggression against the Ukrainian people, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was critical to collaborate with NATO members and partners.
"With Russia's pullout from sections of Ukraine, especially Kyiv and territories to the west," he continued, "We certainly have some altering battlefield dynamics."
Russian soldiers would push deeper into eastern and southern Ukraine
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at a press conference before flying to Brussels, condemned the horrific images of murdered civilians in Bucha and elsewhere, saying, "This is unbearable brutality that Europe has not seen in many decades."
He also said that targeting and murdering civilians is a war crime and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to it immediately. "NATO Allies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, are supporting investigations, and all the facts must be established, and all those responsible for these atrocities must be brought to account," he said.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, will join us on Thursday. According to the NATO head, "he will keep us up to date on the latest events, particularly Kyiv's conversations with Moscow."
In the five weeks after the Russian military invaded Ukraine, more than 1400 civilians have died and more than 4 million people have fled the country.