Tensions eased Wednesday as NATO confirmed that a deadly blast in Poland, first believed to be caused by Russian missiles, was the result of Ukrainian air defense.
Still, U.S. Defense officials said in a Pentagon press conference that ultimate responsibility lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin as more than a quarter of Ukrainians remain without power following a Russian barrage of missiles.
“The deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive collateral damage, and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime,” said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.
Wednesday morning at the Bush Center in Dallas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bowed out of a scheduled discussion with former President George W. Bush, citing the recent attack on his nation.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
The conversation was to be held virtually as part of the Bush Institute’s The Struggle for Freedom Conference.
Instead, Bush spoke at length about the war that’s drawn on now for nearly nine months.
“There's no bigger problem than to have a young democracy bullied by its neighbor, by an autocrat,” said Bush.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Bush said while Americans have their own economic battles, it remains critical that the U.S. financially support Ukraine.
“Failure in Ukraine will impact future generations of Americans. An unstable Europe, a Europe in which a tyrant is on the march is going to affect our national security. And the question is, shouldn't we be thinking about a future generation of Americans leaving behind something better,” he said.
Just this week, President Joe Biden asked Congress to provide another $37 billion of aid for Ukraine.
