President Joe Biden on Wednesday strongly condemned Russia’s large-scale Christmas Day missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, which targeted critical energy infrastructure and caused casualties and significant damage.
Biden vowed that the U.S. would continue to deliver weapons and support to bolster Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russian aggression.
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The strikes, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called “inhumane,” left parts of the country without heat and electricity during the harsh winter months. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the attacks achieved their goal of damaging Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
At least one person in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region was killed, and six others in Kharkiv were injured, according to local officials.
In a statement, President Biden described the attacks as an “outrageous attempt to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid.”
Biden highlighted U.S. efforts to support Ukraine’s defense, stating, “In recent months, the United States has provided Ukraine with hundreds of air defense missiles, and more are on the way.” He added that he had directed the Department of Defense to “continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine.”
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Biden emphasized the U.S. commitment to Ukraine, even as his presidency nears its conclusion. “The United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in its defense against Russian forces,” he said.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, also condemned the attacks. “Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day,” Kellogg wrote on X.
“Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong. The world is closely watching actions on both sides. The U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region,” Kellogg added.
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The attacks underscore the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has escalated significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. As Russia intensifies its focus on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Ukraine continues to rely heavily on Western military and humanitarian support to counter the assaults and maintain essential services for its citizens.
With Biden’s administration pledging continued aid, and the incoming Trump administration signaling strong involvement in the region, Ukraine is poised to remain a focal point of U.S. foreign policy in 2025.
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