A group of US senators has issued a joint statement condemning Russian attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities that resulted in civilian deaths and injuries during the Christmas holiday period. The document was released by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Among the signatories are committee member Jeanne Shaheen, as well as Senators Thom Tillis, Jacky Rosen, John Barrasso, Chris Coons, Angus King, Jerry Moran, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen.
Strikes on cities on a Christian holy day
The senators emphasized that Russia carried out brutal strikes on Kherson, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk Oblast, and Kryvyi Rih at a moment when peaceful Ukrainians had gathered with their families to celebrate Christmas and pray.
The statement stresses that the attacks were deliberately directed against innocent civilians.
Putin’s refusal of a Christmas ceasefire
US lawmakers noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to a Christmas ceasefire, but Russian ruler Vladimir Putin refused to halt hostilities.
Instead, the senators said, the Russian president ordered his forces to continue crimes of aggression on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar.
Historical context and principled assessment
The statement recalls that even during major wars, a tradition of ceasefires at Christmas existed, including during World War I.
“Today’s decision by Putin to launch attacks rather than hold fire is a sobering reminder for us all: Putin is a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace and cannot be trusted,” the statement reads.
Solidarity with Ukrainians
The US senators expressed full solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who are forced to celebrate Christmas under shelling and in the conditions of war.
“Ukrainians’ faith is a stronger force than the evil unleashed today by the Kremlin,” the lawmakers concluded.
On the evening of 24 December, Russian forces also launched a missile strike on Cherkasy. The shockwave damaged an educational institution, a garage cooperative, and the local cemetery. Cherkasy Mayor Anatolii Bondarenko stated that the gravestones of local residents and the Alley of Heroes were also targeted.
