War in Ukraine due to aggression of Russian leadership, President Putin: White House
Washington(PTI): The ongoing war in Ukraine that has displaced millions of people is a result of the aggression of the Russian leadership and its president Vladimir Putin, the White House has said.
This is a war of aggression by the Russian leadership, by President Putin that has left millions of people displaced, homeless; has targeted civilians, hospitals and other innocent people across Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference on Friday.
We know who the aggressor is; that is President Putin and Russia. And beyond that, I do not have any comment on military tactics, she said.
The official, however, refrained from commenting on the Russian statement that an apparent attack by Ukraine on one of its fuel depots is making it harder for Russia to stay engaged in the talks to end the war.
We have seen those reports. We are not in a position to comment on the Kremlin's statements. I would note Ukraine has not made any statements or confirmation of these reports, she said.
I would also note that this is a war that President Putin started -- a brutal war with Russia's forces continuing to bombard cities across Ukraine and commit terrible acts of violence. We have seen the people of Ukraine fight valiantly in the face of unprovoked Russian brutality, but there is one aggressor here, and that is President Putin and the Russian military at his direction, Psaki said.
In Tampa for the Central Command change of command ceremony, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Putin's invasion of his sovereign neighbour is unprovoked and unjust.
And the Ukrainians are fighting bravely to defend their lives, democracy, and their freedom, he said.
Earlier, Secretary of State Tony Blinken spoke with his British counterpart Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, during which the two diplomats emphasised the continued importance of transatlantic unity to support Ukraine, and coordinate further swift and consequential actions against those who support Putin's war of choice on Ukraine.
The two discussed the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial meeting and developing additional possible actions to ratchet up our response to Putin's continued assault on the Ukrainian people, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
