President Biden mentioned Thursday at a press convention in Brussels that NATO is united amid the battle in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir “Putin was banking on NATO being break up,” Mr. Biden mentioned within the whirlwind press convention. “NATO has by no means, by no means been extra united than it’s right this moment.”
Mr. Biden additionally mentioned he supported expelling Russia from the G20, the group of the 20 greatest economies on the planet, however conceded “that is dependent upon the G20.”
Mr. Biden’s feedback got here solely hours after an emotional plea by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who advised NATO leaders that if there is not extra invention from Europe, the Russian invasion will unfold to Poland, a NATO nation. Zelenskyy requested that the alliance present “efficient and unrestricted” assist to Ukraine, together with any weapons the nation must fend off the Russian onslaught.
Mr. Biden responded Thursday by asserting the U.S. will ship $1 billion in humanitarian assist, on high of the $2 billion in assist his administration has supplied since he got here into workplace. Mr. Biden additionally mentioned the U.S. would welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians to assist alleviate the refugee disaster in Europe.
EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / REUTERS
European Union nations, in the meantime, on the eve of assembly with Mr. Biden, pledged one other $550 million in navy assist for Ukraine.
NATO allies have agreed to offer cybersecurity help and gear to assist defend Ukraine in opposition to organic, chemical, radiological and nuclear threats, NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg mentioned Thursday. However he reiterated that NATO won’t put boots on the bottom in Ukraine.
“We have now a accountability to stop this battle from turning into a full-fledged battle in Europe involving not solely Ukraine and Russia however NATO allies and Russia,” Stoltenberg mentioned. “That might be extra harmful and extra devastating.”
4 new NATO battlegroups are deploying to Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria — Mr. Biden mentioned in an announcement that their deployment “is a powerful sign that we are going to collectively defend and defend each inch of NATO territory.” He added that by the point NATO leaders meet for his or her subsequent summit in June, “we’ll develop plans for added forces and capabilities to strengthen NATO’s defenses,” with a purpose to guarantee NATO is ready for “any problem” in what’s a “new and extra harmful safety surroundings.”
The gathering of NATO allies was going down quickly after the State Division formally assessed that Russia has committed war crimes in opposition to Ukraine, and as Russian forces wrestle to make navy progress, defying preliminary expectations of a swift conquest of the nation. Russia has been hammering southern Ukraine with air and artillery strikes, making an attempt to grab a swath of floor to create a land hall between the occupied Crimean Peninsula and Russian territory.
