U.S Targets Russia, Helps Ukraine With New Measures

In his address from the White House, U.S President Joe Biden announced a series of measures to help Ukraine and target Russia amid what he called a “critical window” as Russia prepares for a next phase of war, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The move came just minutes after Biden and his national security advisor John Sullivan met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the White House.

Here are some more details about Biden's announcements on Ukraine:

- Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, but he also warned that Congress will need to approve additional assistance. The new military assistance package includes heavy artillery, 144,000 rounds of ammunition, and drones for Ukrainian forces.  It builds on roughly $2.6 billion in military assistance that Biden had previously approved for Ukraine.

- The US is banning Russian-affiliated ships from American ports, joining Canada and European nations, in the latest step to pressure Russia. "That means no ship, no ship, that sails under the Russian flag, or that is owned or operated by Russian interests, will be allowed to dock in the United States port or access our shores. None." - Biden said.

- A new refugee scheme, "Unite for Ukraine" will allow Ukrainians who have an American sponsor to stay for up to two years, but would not provide a path to citizenship.

"It will be fast, it will streamlined," Biden said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement following Biden's speech that for almost eight weeks, Russia has waged its savage assault against Ukraine, its  overeignty, its independence, its freedom, and its people.  "From Bucha to Kramatorsk, from Kharkiv to Mariupol, we have seen Russia’s brutalities and its atrocities laid bare for the world to see.  And yet Ukrainian Winter has turned to Ukrainian Spring.  The people of Ukraine will prevail."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.