As Russia Continues Bombing Ukraine Cities, G7, NATO Push Back

As Russia doubles down its air strikes on civilian targets across Ukraine, NATO and G7 Leaders are pushing back with a renewed pledge to step up and sustain support for Ukraine, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The “indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime” by Russian forces, G7 Leaders said in a joint statement following their meeting Tuesday morning, vowing to hold Vladimir Putin and those responsible for the attacks on Ukraine to account.

The leaders also said they would continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will "stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

In Washington, the State Department officials made it clear that they view the latest bombings as a brutal war of aggression.  "The Kremlin’s attacks were brutal and absolutely unjustified, but they are also signs of weakness and desperation," spokesperson Ned Price told the daily press briefing.

Asked by TURAN's Washington correspondent whether the latest attacks on civilian targets constituted actions of terror, Price said, "we are keeping very close watch at what Russia does. We know that it has conducted war crimes, and unfortunately, it has given us no reason in recent weeks or days that it intends to stop anytime soon"

Speaking to reporters in a separate briefing from Brussels, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julie Smith said she had seen “no shift” in the alliance’s support for Ukraine.

“I see really no change in the allies' commitment to support Ukraine through humanitarian economic and security assistance... I see 30 allies around the table that are fully united in their view that Putin's war continues to be an affront to international peace and the UN Charter," she said.

Asked by TURAN's Washington correspondent what the alliance is actually doing to defend Ukraine, the Ambassador said, in addition to sharing intelligence, the U.S.shared "an unprecedented amount of intelligence with allies in the run up to the war before February 24th and that continues to be part of what goes on here at NATO."

"But I’d also note that NATO’s is providing nonlethal support, a very important non-lethal support as it relates to things like winter gear, night vision goggles, generators, fuel and all the rest" she added. "And we’re in conversations with Ukrainian forces about how best to meet NATO standards and continuing the relationship that NATO has had with Ukraine for many years, well before Russia started this war on February 24th."

The U.S. in its part pledged to  expedite the shipment of national advanced surface-to-air missile systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine "as soon as it can," White House spokesperson John Kirby said.

Kirby did not provide a specific date for when the NASAMs would be sent but said the U.S. was "certainly interested in expediting" the systems.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.