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Biden announces hundreds of millions in new security aid for Ukraine following Zelensky’s speech
“The world is united in our assist for Ukraine and our willpower to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin pay a really heavy worth,” Biden mentioned earlier than signing a presidential memorandum on the White Home to ship the navy help. “America is main this effort, along with our allies and companions, offering an infinite stage of safety and humanitarian help that we’re including to in the present day and we will proceed to do extra within the days and weeks forward.”
Biden, in his remarks on Wednesday, tried to stage with People in regards to the lengthy street forward within the warfare.
“I need to be sincere with you,” the President mentioned. “This could possibly be an extended and troublesome battle. However the American individuals shall be steadfast in our assist of the individuals of Ukraine within the face of Putin’s immoral, unethical assaults on civilian inhabitants.”
Based on the White Home, the $800 million in safety help will present Ukraine with: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft methods, 100 drones, “over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds,” 25,000 units of physique armor, 25,000 helmets, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine weapons, 400 shotguns, in addition to “2,000 Javelin, 1,000 mild anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor methods.”
The US will particularly present Switchblade drones to Ukraine, two sources accustomed to the matter informed CNN. The small, moveable, so-called kamikaze drones carry warheads and detonate on influence. The smallest mannequin can hit a goal as much as 6 miles away, in response to the corporate that produces the drones, AeroVironment. It is unclear which mannequin the US will ship to Ukraine.
“You’re the chief of your grand nation,” Zelensky informed Biden. “I want you to be the chief of the world. Being the chief of the world means to be the chief of peace.”
Biden mentioned later Wednesday that he watched Zelensky’s speech from the White Home residence, calling it “convincing” and “vital.”
“He speaks for a individuals who have proven outstanding braveness and power within the face of brutal aggression, braveness and power that is impressed not solely Ukrainians, however the whole warfare,” Biden continued.
The Biden administration will look to get these lots of of tens of millions in new help to Ukraine as shortly as attainable, with the President noting Tuesday that it’s turning into “exceedingly troublesome” to get new provides into Ukraine, although they’re nonetheless ready to take action.
The Biden administration can be persevering with to develop sanctions concentrating on high Russian officers and people in President Vladimir Putin’s interior circle, with plans to ramp up the variety of targets within the coming days and weeks, in response to a number of US officers.
The method has been ongoing, and has taken into consideration particular strategies of targets offered by high Ukrainian officers, together with Zelensky, the officers mentioned. In a name with Biden final week, Zelensky laid out a extra particular vary of targets for particular person sanctions, one of many officers mentioned. The administration is presently working to handle these requested targets.
in his digital remarks to Congress, Zelensky went additional when he requested the US impose sanctions on all Russian politicians who proceed to assist the federal government. Whereas some Zelensky requests, together with the implementation of a no-fly zone, stay off the desk for Biden, the sanctions are seen by the administration as a device they’ll readily deploy.
For the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US has slapped sanctions on dozens of high Russian officers and oligarchs, in addition to their members of the family. Biden additionally signed off on concentrating on Putin immediately with particular person sanctions, in coordination with the European Union and United Kingdom.
“Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky right into a supply of loss of life for hundreds of individuals,” he informed Congress as he described the usage of missiles, bombs and drones by Russian troops to inflict brutal and lethal assaults on his nation. “We’re asking for a reply to this terror from the entire world.”
“To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save lots of individuals, is that this an excessive amount of to ask?” he mentioned. Zelensky went on to say, “You understand how a lot relies on the battlefield, on the flexibility to make use of plane, highly effective sturdy aviation to guard our individuals, our freedom, our land, plane that may assist Ukraine, assist Europe. they exist and you’ve got them, however they’re on Earth not within the Ukrainian sky.”
“I would like to guard our sky,” he mentioned.
This story has been up to date with further reporting on Wednesday.
CNN’s MJ Lee, Oren Liebermann, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand, Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, Sam Fossum, Donald Judd and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.