West readies winter aid for Ukrainians
KYIV, UKRAINE » An uneasy calm hung over Kyiv on Tuesday as residents of the Ukrainian capital prepared for Russian missile attacks aiming to take out more energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
To ease the hardships and ensure Ukraine's 43 million people can maintain their resolve in the 10th month of fighting against Russia's invasion, NATO allies are considering sending Patriot missiles and are boosting provisions of blankets, generators and other basic necessities.
Ukraine's first lady implored the West to retain the steadfastness that Ukrainians have shown against Russian President Vladimir Putin's military campaign.
“Ukrainians are very tired of this war, but we have no choice in the matter,” Olena Zelenska, the wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a BBC interview during a visit to Britain.
“We do hope that the approaching season of Christmas doesn't make you forget about our tragedy and get used to our suffering,” she said.
A two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest, Romania, was likely to see the 30-nation alliance make fresh pledges of nonlethal support to Ukraine: fuel, generators, medical supplies and winter equipment, on top of new military support.
The U.S. announced $53 million to buy electrical parts for Ukraine's electricity grid, which along with water and heating infrastructure has sustained heavy damage from targeted Russian strikes that began Oct. 10 in what Western officials have described as a Russian attempt to weaponize the coming winter cold.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed in Bucharest that deliveries of sophisticated missile systems such as Patriots are under consideration. A senior U.S. defense official who briefed Pentagon reporters Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. is open to providing them.
About a third of Ukraine's residents faced power supply disruptions, Ukraine's state grid operator said, both because of increased demand due to colder temperatures and the emergency shutdown of power units.
“The overall deficit in the energy system is a consequence of seven waves of Russian missile attacks on the country's energy infrastructure,” electricity system operator Ukrenergo said.
Kyiv saw continued interruptions to its electricity, heat and water supply, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted only strong support of Ukraine would impact the Kremlin. He said the military buildup the U.S. and NATO implemented after Russia's Black Sea fleet bombarded Ukrainian cities and towns and bottled up vital grain shipments for the rest of the world in Ukrainian ports would intensify.
“We're not going to be deterred,” Blinken told reporters.
“We're going to be reinforcing NATO's presence from the Black to the Baltic seas.”
Meanwhile, NATO doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to one day include Ukraine, a pledge that some officials and analysts believe helped prompt Russia's invasion this year. The world's largest security alliance also pledged to send more aid to Ukrainian forces locked in battle with Russian troops.
“NATO's door is open,” Stoltenberg said in Bucharest.