The U.N. Security Council convened an emergency meeting late Friday to discuss Russia's heavy airstrikes on Ukraine's capital and five other cities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Russian attack "in the strongest terms" and said that attacks on civilians were unacceptable and must be stopped immediately.
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari called Russia's actions "appalling."
"Sadly, 2023 will end as it began – the Ukrainian people have suffered devastating violence," he said, noting that international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
U.S. Biden said in a statement that the bombing shows that Russia's Vladimir Putin must be stopped and that the U.S. "Congress must step up and act." ”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the attack should provoke the world to take further action in support of Ukraine.
These large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities show that Putin will stop at nothing to achieve his goal of overthrowing freedom and democracy," Sunak said on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "We must continue to stand with Ukraine – for as long as it takes. ”
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's chief minister, said the scale of the attack should make people aware of Ukraine's ongoing needs.
Today, millions of Ukrainians wake up to a huge ** sound," he wrote on X, "I hope that the ** voice of Ukraine will be heard all over the world." Further support for Ukraine is currently being discussed in all major capitals, headquarters and parliaments. ”