NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia is repositioning its forces around Kyiv rather than conducting a true “withdrawal,” warning that new attacks could occur.
Russian forces were likely repositioning and resupplying and possibly gearing up for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region, according to US and Western officials in recent days. Meanwhile, Stoltenberg described the reported civilian killings in Bucha, Ukraine, as “horrific.”
“This is President Putin’s war, and he bears responsibility for the daily casualties and consequences of the conflict in Ukraine. We must keep putting pressure on President Putin. The suffering in Ukraine is appalling,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
“We should not be overly optimistic,” he said, “because the attacks will continue, and we are also concerned about the possibility of increased attacks.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed disgust at the sight of civilian bodies strewn about Bucha’s streets in a separate interview with CNN. “You can’t help but think of these images as a gut punch,” Blinken said.
Reports of possible war crimes committed by Russian forces in Bucha, a Kyiv suburb, and other parts of Ukraine have prompted growing international condemnation.
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