A few hours ago, President Joe Biden landed in Brussels to speak with NATO and European leaders in Europe for a historic emergency summit on more sanctions.
President Biden shows a western united front against Russian President Vladmir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as he plans to announce new economic sanctions that aim to cut off Russian military funding.
President Zelenskyy is expected to virtually address NATO.
Wednesday marked a month of the ongoing war in Ukraine by the Russian troops invasion, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, formally declaring Russian troops have committed war crimes.
“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine […] America will work with others to prosecute the offenders,” said Blinken.
The announcement should not come as too much of a surprise as last week, Biden called Putin “a war criminal” among a room full of reporters after he announced $800 million in security aid for Ukraine following Zelenskyy’s emotional address to U.S. members of Congress.
Some had anticipated President Biden's call-out to Russia for its war crimes against Ukraine, though it was a little unexpected for Biden to full-out state Putin is a war criminal. His response may have been influenced by the graphic video Zelenskyy shared toward the end of his virtual address of before and after photos of Ukraine, close-quarter civilian bombings, and hurt or killed civilians (including a child).
A senior defense official stated Russian troops have fired more than 1,200 missiles since the war began.
The city of Mariupol looks like a ghost town from an aerial view as it continues to be bombed with around 100,000 civilians trapped underground without food or water. Russian efforts are reportedly intensifying to “pound the city into submission”.
Blinken agreed that Russian forces are raising their brutality in Mariupol as maternity hospitals and a visible children’s theater was bombed.
“Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded,” Blinken stated.
In Chernihiv, a vital bridge route for civilians was obliterated by Russian bombs, stopping civilians escape to safety.
The capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, is under daily attack as another residential area was hit Wednesday.
“It was many, many bombs,” a local putting out a fire said.
Russian troops have bombed schools, hospitals, and killed civilians. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 64 attacks on healthcare facilities. This has caused 15 deaths and 37 injuries in and around these facilities.
However, Ukrainian resistance continues to surprise many as the Pentagon announced the Ukrainian military and civilian-turned-soldiers have killed 10% of Russian forces. NATO also estimates between 7,000-15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine.
20,000 foreigners from around the world are fighting for Ukraine after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced earlier in the war against Russia, that it would accept foreigners who wanted to help or fight in the battle ridden country.
At least 3,000 Americans have signed up to fight in Ukraine despite the U.S. government telling Americans to stay away from the war.
Stay safe and godspeed, my friends.