Ricardo Zúñiga, Undersecretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the US Department of State, declared this Friday that “the world is responding to hold Russia accountable for the atrocities it commits in Ukraine.”
“We wish let this war end as soon as possibleon fair terms and that respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Zúñiga said in a telephone press conference on the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
Zúñiga expressed that “Russia started this large-scale war against its neighbor and only Russia can put an end to it.” And he warned: “If Russia stops fighting and withdraws, the war ends today. If Ukraine stops fighting, she disappears as a country.
The US official noted that “Russia remains the only obstacle to peace in Ukraine.” And he considered that “Russia’s constant and savage attacks against Ukraine show that President Putin has no interest in genuine diplomacy.”
“Russia is losing on the battlefield and in desperation it continues to carry out unscrupulous bombardments that impact schools, hospitals, churches, residential buildings and critical infrastructures with dire consequences for the civilian population,” Zúñiga remarked.
Furthermore, he stated that “Because of this senseless war that it has decided to carry out, Russia experiences strategic setbacks on the global stage that it has caused itself”.
And he mentioned some of Moscow’s current concerns: “The Russian army has lost tens of thousands of soldiers and countless military equipment; Russia now sells oil at a much lower price; Europe has greatly decreased imports of Russian natural gas; sanctions and export controls will further affect Russia’s industrial economy in this second year; the dynamism and productivity of the Russian economy is deteriorating day by day as a result of the sanctions; Russia is increasingly isolated and its allies are countries like Iran and North Korea ”.
On the other hand, the US State Department official appreciated the determination of the Ukrainian people to “defend their freedom” against the Russian invasion. “The United States and its allies will continue to ensure that Ukraine has the resources it needs to defend its people and its territory against Russian aggression during as long as it takes”, he assured.
Zúñiga pointed out that “the Ukrainian people are showing remarkable courage and making immense sacrifices” and affirmed that “the people of the United States have aligned themselves with Ukraine to ensure that it has the financial, humanitarian and security assistance it needs”.
Keep reading:
A year of invasion: chronology of a war that shakes the world
Deaths, destruction, weapons and war crimes: the shocking numbers of the invasion
Marc Stanley: “Vladimir Putin will be held accountable for his crimes”
Commander in battle by day, best-selling poet by night: Ukraine’s new national hero
Putin’s failure, with Russia isolated and an army bogged down in endless war
Source-www.infobae.com