US Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference in Geneva on January 21, 2022 after a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister.
Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | beautiful pictures
WASHINGTON – Foreign Minister Antony Blinken warned on Tuesday that Russian human rights abuses in Ukraine were on the rise.
“Russian air strikes are hitting schools, hospitals and residential buildings,” the top US diplomat said in a speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council. “They are destroying vital infrastructure that provides drinking water and gas to millions of people across Ukraine so that they don’t freeze to death and power. Civil buses, cars and even ambulances have been destroyed. was shot. Russia is doing this every day – over Ukraine.”
Blinken said more than 500,000 Ukrainians have left the country so far to go to neighboring NATO member states to seek refuge. Ukraine is not a member of the NATO military alliance that shares borders with four NATO countries; Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
Last week, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine could lead to one of the biggest refugee crises in the world.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks at the 58th plenary session of the General Assembly in New York on February 23, 2022, on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | beautiful pictures
“If Russia continues down this path, it could, in our estimation, create a new refugee crisis, one of the greatest crises facing the world,” said Thomas-Greenfield. present, with about 5 million people displaced by the war chosen by Russia. in a speech on February 23 at the United Nations.
She added: “This is a war chosen by President Putin. If he chooses to escalate further, Russia and Russia will bear full responsibility for what is to come.”
Over the weekend, the State Department approved a $54 million humanitarian aid package for those affected by Russia’s next invasion. This brings US humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to about $405 million since 2014.
The additional support provides “much needed health care, safe drinking water, sanitation, toiletries, protection of vulnerable children … emergency medical supplies… as well as emergency food assistance and thermal blankets,” according to a USAID statement.
In his speech, Blinken also questioned whether Russia should be excluded from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“One could reasonably question whether one UN member state is trying to take over another UN member state – while committing horrendous human rights violations and caused a lot of humanitarian suffering – should I be allowed to stay on this Council or not.”
