Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that Russia's massive attack on Ukraine demonstrates the Kremlin's unwillingness to negotiate peace.
"While peace talks were underway in Abu Dhabi, Russia spoke the language it knows best - terror. Overnight, Russian missiles and drones rained down on residential neighborhoods and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv," Budrys wrote on X.
The Lithuanian minister emphasized that "Russia must pay for the destruction and suffering it has caused."
"It’s clear: Moscow has no intention of pursuing peace or ending this war. The world must act now- strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and intensify pressure on Russia to stop its assaults on civilians," Budrys stressed.
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel also called for strengthening Ukraine's air defense following the massive Russian attacks, Europeiska Pravda reports. He noted on X that 1.2 million Ukrainians were left without electricity and heating as a result of the strike on the night of 24 January.
"More air defence and energy support now. More pressure on Moscow to end its war now," the Dutch minister underscored.
On the night of 24 January, Russian strike drones hit residential buildings in the Industrialnyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts of Kharkiv. Apartments in a high-rise building caught fire, while a dormitory housing displaced persons, a hospital, and a maternity hospital were damaged. Fourteen people were injured, including a pregnant woman and a child.
Russian forces struck Kyiv with strike drones and ballistic missiles. Hits were recorded in three districts, with at least one person killed and three others in serious condition.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, commenting on the attack, indicated that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin ordered the strike at the moment when negotiations regarding the peace process were ongoing in the UAE under US auspices.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on partners to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems and not to leave Russian strikes unanswered.
