U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Europe’s stability "hangs in the balance" with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an update during a March 4 visit to Brussels, Belgium.
Residents of Ukraine are going without electricity, water or heat as a result of the invasion, he said.
"The Kremlin’s attacks are inflicting an ever-increasing toll on civilians there. Hundreds if not thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, many more wounded, as have citizens of other countries,” Blinken said.
He joined the ministers of Finland and Sweden; the European Union High Representative Josep Borrell; the foreign ministers of Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Canada; and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a NATO meeting with the EU.
Blinken called out Russia's recklessness around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and asked for them to cease attacks around nuclear facilities to allow civilian personnel to ensure the facility’s safety and security.
The Ukrainian people and government are showing amazing courage while defending their country, their freedom and one another, he said.
He shared appreciation for the European leaders stepping up against this threat to support Ukraine. NATO allies, the G7, the EU and Blinken’s discussions with the NATO secretary general, the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Council President Charles Michel focused on supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself and imposing costs on the Kremlin.
“More than a million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. Millions of people across Ukraine are trapped in increasingly dire conditions as Russia destroys more critical infrastructure," Blinken said.
