US slams ‘barbaric’ Russian attacks on Ukraine infrastructure

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as “barbaric.”

“Over the past several weeks, Russia has bombed out more than a third of Ukraine’s energy system, plunging millions in the cold,” Blinken says after a meeting with NATO counterparts in Bucharest.

“These are President Putin’s new targets. He’s hitting them hard. This brutalization of Ukraine’s people is barbaric.”

NATO allies pledged to help Ukraine rebuild its shattered power grid as they met with the country’s foreign minister yesterday. Blinken says Western allies were setting up a coordination group to synchronize their support to restore Ukraine’s infrastructure.

Blinken adds that at the same time as they look to help Ukraine repair its grid, the United States and allies are also giving Kyiv air defense systems “to establish the best possible defense.”