Vladimir Putin wants to freeze and starve Ukraine’s population by attacking power and water supply, but he will fail Sky News has revealed.
James Cleverly said that he had never witnessed such devastation in his first visit to Ukraine. He also said it was crucial for the UK and its allies to continue their support until Kyiv “prevails”.
The minister revealed that he had only briefly felt the hardships of most Ukrainians when he visited the British ambassador’s residence in Kiev on Wednesday, after an attack of Russian missiles against the energy grid.
Cleverly stated that the water was restored and back in operation by lunchtime on the next day.
“The speed and resilience of the peoples of Kyiv, Ukraine, is amazing to see. This is why I am confident that the Ukrainians, with continued support from the international community will prevail.”
Friday’s foreign secretary spoke in Irpin on the outskirts the capital. This town was heavily bombed by Russian forces when they attempted to storm Kyiv during the initial weeks of the full-scale invasion.
With the help of Western weapons and British troops, the Ukrainian military pushed them back. This opened the door to efforts to rebuild civilian lives – even though war continues in the east and south, and there is still the threat of airstrikes.
Mr Cleverly visited a school that was damaged by the attack and is expected to reopen next week, thanks to part of UK funds.
He also announced additional civilian support for Ukraine, including 24 ambulances as well as six armoured vehicles.
The foreign secretary continued with his Ukraine trip, which included a meeting with President Volodymyr Zilenskyy on Thursday. This was despite the fact that he was entering Ukraine as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched missiles against water and energy infrastructure.
He stated, “It is extremely important that the UK shows the Ukrainian people – who are suffering the brunt from this brutality Russia has shown – that they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us.”
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Cleverly stated that the Russian tactic of hurting civilians was an act of desperation after its failure on the battlefield.
He stated that Vladimir Putin was targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and water infrastructure. He is trying to force the Ukrainians to submit.”
He said, “What I have also seen is that same Ukrainians trying to live their lives as normal as possible.” This college was full of students who wanted to return to school to meet their friends and learn.
“There is resilience in Ukraine and toughness in Ukraine. We are happy to support it and seeing it leaves no doubt that the Ukrainians can prevail and that Vladimir Putin will fall in this invasion.”