“We are going to proceed to supply unwavering financial, humanitarian, and safety help so Ukraine can defend itself and maintain its folks,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned on Twitter. Blinken tweeted on Monday morning that he spoke along with his counterpart, Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba, following the strikes.
The assaults, which marked the primary on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, since late June, drew condemnation from Western officers. Russia launched 75 rockets, and 41 rockets had been shot down by Ukraine’s defenses, the nation’s high normal, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, wrote on Facebook.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Sick.) in contrast Putin’s actions to Adolf Hitler’s fast offensive assaults on Britain in World Warfare II.
“Hitler’s blitzkrieg on the harmless Brits strengthened their resolve,” Durbin wrote on Twitter. “Putin’s mass strike on harmless Ukrainians will do the identical. The most well liked ring in Hell has Putin’s identify on the door.”
Bridget Brink, the American ambassador to Ukraine, tweeted pictures of her assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, with the caption “Undaunted.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the assaults got here in response to the partial destruction over the weekend of a bridge linking illegally occupied Crimea and Russia. Putin has described the blast on the Kerch Bridge, which Ukraine has not claimed duty for, as an act of terrorism. However the bridge was logistically vital to Russia’s navy operation, making it a sound navy goal, Mulroy mentioned.
“These indiscriminate airstrikes exhibit Putin’s desperation and brutality within the face of an more and more profitable Ukrainian counter offensive,” Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) tweeted on Monday.
Ukraine has asked Western countries for new air defenses to keep off missile assaults on civilian infrastructure — the form of assaults the nation noticed on Monday. It’s anticipated to obtain two extra surface-to-air techniques that may knock down drones, missiles and helicopters within the coming weeks, in keeping with Protection Division officers; nevertheless, the Biden administration didn’t embrace any new air protection capabilities within the $625 million of navy help introduced final week.
Mike Pompeo, secretary of State within the Trump administration, criticized Biden on Monday for the adminstration’s weapons technique.
“They’ve been dribbling out these weapons — too sluggish, not sufficient vary,” Pompeo mentioned on “Fox and Mates.” “We ought to be offering Ukrainians each software they want.”
The USA has supplied roughly $15.8 billion in help to Ukraine because the starting of the Biden administration, Blinken mentioned in an announcement on Sept. 15.
The assaults over the weekend quantity to “purple meat” for Putin’s base, Council on International Relations President Richard Haass mentioned on Monday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Due to Russia’s struggles on the battlefield, Putin is adopting an oblique technique of making use of stress to Ukrainian society and making an attempt to weaken Western help, Haass mentioned.
“All of us gotta psychologically and politically put together ourselves for a protracted wrestle,” he mentioned.
When Biden addressed Russia’s battle in Ukraine final week, he raised the potential for nuclear “Armageddon” from Russia. Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that Biden’s remark mirrored the stakes of the battle, fairly than any new intelligence.
Lara Seligman and Paul McCleary contributed to this report.