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Ukraine sends condolences to U.S., Zelensky says he's 'deeply saddened' by Texas shooting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Wednesday to the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead, offering his condolences to the families of the victims, the people of the United States and President Biden.

"Deeply saddened by the news of the murder of innocent children in Texas. Sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the people of the US and @POTUS over this tragedy," Zelensky wrote in a tweet. "The people of Ukraine share the pain of the relative and friends of the victims and all Americans."

Russia continued its war in Ukraine on Wednesday, stepping up efforts to seize control of the Donbas region. On Wednesday, Zelensky spoke via videoconference at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "leave his bubble of this alternative reality into the real world and talk to us, understand that a lot of people are being killed, including civilians," CNN reported.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of Tuesday at least 3,942 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded in late February. Of that total, 258 have been children.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, hands on the podium, surrounded by the flags of Ukraine and Poland, looks solemn.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at a press conference in Kyiv on May 22. (Pavlo_Bagmut/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Zelensky was not the only Ukrainian official to offer condolences to the families of those killed in Texas. The nation's top diplomat, Dmytro Kuleba, who had traveled to Davos to rally nations around the world to support Ukraine, also expressed sympathy for the tragic events in Uvalde.

"Horrible news from Uvalde, Texas. Our deepest sympathy is with the victims and their families," Kuleba wrote on Twitter. "As a nation that goes through the pain of losing innocent young lives, Ukraine shares the pain of our U.S. friends. We stand in solidarity with you at this difficult time, @SecBlinken."

On Tuesday, Biden told leaders gathered at a summit in Tokyo that Putin's decision to invade Ukraine was a tragedy that requires a global response.

“We’re navigating a dark hour in our shared history," he said. “The Russian brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe, and innocent civilians have been killed in the streets and millions of refugees are internally displaced, as well as in exile.”