The United States and their allies used a NATO meeting in Romania to promise more weapons for Kiev and equipment for the reconstruction of the national power grid destroyed by Russian rocket attacks.
Jens Stoltenberg, the general secretary of the alliance, said: "We have to be prepared for more refugees to get to the rest of Europe", as a result of Russia's "willful attack on critical services, heating, light, water, gas" in Ukraine.
In a speech in Bucharest on the two -day summit of the Foreign Minister to mobilize the support for Ukraine, he said: "I think we have all seen these satellite images on which Europe can be seen in the light and then Ukraine in the dark ... So there is a huge task."
"President Putin tries to use winter as a weapon of war," he told reporters.
Eight million left Ukraine
In the nine months since the beginning of the large -scale invasion of Russia, around 6.5 million Ukrainians are said to have moved internally to flee from fighting, and another eight million have left the country.
aid organizations have warned that the onset of winter and the attempt by the Kremlin to break the resistance of Ukraine by destroying the infrastructure could trigger another wave of movement, since people are looking for warmth and security.
In the past few weeks,Russia has sent rocket waves and exploding drones to destroy the infrastructure. While the Ukrainian air defense has shot down many, those who have passed have caused increasing damage to the national power grid. Power failures are getting worse and lengthy, and millions no longer have water or have trouble heating their houses.
President Wolodymyr Selenskyj told the Ukrainians at the beginning of this week that they should soon expect another barrage.
in Ukraine it snowed early in the north and east, and until the middle of winter the temperatures can fall to -20 ° C.
"It will be a terrible winter for Ukraine"
Foreign Minister James Clebleverly accused Mr. Putin to have tried to "freeze the Ukrainians for submission".
A high -ranking European diplomat added: "It will be a terrible winter for Ukraine, so we are working on strengthening our support so that it can be resistant."
America announced a new 44 million pound package for the purchase of transformers, performance switches, overvoltage lane vehicles and other equipment so that Kiev can repair the network.
Ukraine said that the greatest need for batteries and transformers for air defense rockets to survive the Russian attack.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: "If we have transformers and generators, we can cover our energy requirements. If we have air defense systems, we can protect [ourselves] from the next Russian rocket attacks. In short: Patriots and transformers are what the Ukraine needs the most."
The Ukraine "becomes NATO member"
The ministers also confirmed a 2008 summit decision, according to which Ukraine would finally become a member of the military alliance. But as in 2008, there was no concrete steps or a schedule that would actually bring the country of membership closer.
"We have explained that the Ukraine will become a member, I expect the allies to reaffirm this position," said Stoltenberg.
"However, the main focus is now on the support of Ukraine. We are in the middle of a war and should therefore do nothing that could undermine the unity of the allies in order to provide military, humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine."
The ministers also discussed help such as ammunition, medical care, winter equipment and drone distorting stations.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuanian Foreign Minister, asked the alliance partners to continue to deliver tanks, and said NATO had a lot left.
He said on Twitter: "My message to the colleagues of Foreign Ministers at today's NATO meeting is simple: keep calm and give tanks."
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