One of the ugliest hallmarks of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine is his calculated strategy to cause as much harm as possible to the country’s civilian population. Since the beginning, the Russian armed forces have targeted population centers such as shopping malls and apartment blocks, as well as civilian infrastructure with little to no strategic value, including schools and hospitals.
One of the ways that Russia’s leadership has been making life miserable for many Ukrainians is by weaponizing the winter weather.
“Every year, every month, every part of winter, President Putin has tried to weaponize the cold and use civilian pain to bring about flight … of civilians to neighboring countries,” said USAID Administrator Samantha Power.
“So, he's hoping again, heading into this winter, that Mother Nature is going to work for him, and he's hopeful that the Ukrainian people, and the rest of us will tire of this cause. And I think we've come together today to make sure that he's wrong – that his bet is a flawed bet, as it has been up to this point.”
On September 23, the G7, an intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with the European Union, met on the margins of the 79th United Nations General Assembly to discuss what needs to be done to ensure that Putin’s plan to harness the winter weather against the Ukrainian people fails.
Since the winter of 2022, the G7+ countries have mobilized more than $4 billion. “As for the United States, over $1.8 billion since February ’22,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “It translates into practical necessities to help our Ukrainian friends get through the coming months, and particularly getting through the winter.”
“We have once again not just the prospect but the reality of Putin weaponizing winter, weaponizing the weather, to use energy as a weapon in his efforts to subjugate Ukraine,” he said. “And we know that the upcoming winter will be challenging, which is why our countries have been working together every single day to help ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to get through the winter.”
“The bottom line is this,” said Secretary Blinken. “Every country around this table – and so many more – stand strongly and firmly with Ukraine. We’re determined to see Ukraine’s success. We’re determined to support its people as they face this ongoing aggression.”
