October 5, 2024

Pathfinder News

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Ukraine: US To Accept 100,000 Refugees

The U.S. will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and others fleeing Russia’s invasion and provide more than $1 billion in new humanitarian aid, the White House announced Thursday.

The funding will pay for food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance.

Although many Ukrainian refugees prefer to remain in Europe where they will be closer to family and their homes, the Biden administration is working to expand and develop new programmes with a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the U.S.

The announcement came as Biden reinforced NATO’s support of Ukraine one month into Russia’s attacks, saying that they are determined “to hold Russia accountable for its brutal war.”

“We had the privilege of hearing directly from President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, and we will continue to support him and his government with significant, and increasing, amounts of security assistance to fight Russian aggression and uphold their right to self-defense,” Biden said in a statement following a NATO emergency summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Biden noted the U.S. has provided $1 billion in assistance to Ukraine and, along with American allies, are committed to identifying “additional equipment, including air defense systems, to help Ukraine.” In addition, Biden said officials also discussed NATO’s defense, particularly on the Eastern flank.

Biden said the establishment of four new battle groups in Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary is a strong signal to Russia that NATO will “defend and protect every inch of NATO territory.”

Russia was also strapped with more sanctions Thursday. The Group of Seven leaders announced plans to restrict the Russian Central Bank’s use of gold in transactions. And the U.S. announced a new round of sanctions targeting defense companies, the head of Russia’s largest bank, and more than 300 members of the Russian State Duma.

In a video address to a NATO summit Thursday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need for military assistance. Zelenskyy urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1% of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks.” “When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security,” he said.

Late Wednesday, Zelenskyy called on people worldwide to gather in public Thursday to show support for his embattled country.

“Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard,” Zelenskyy said in English during an emotional video address late Wednesday that was recorded in the dark near the presidential offices in Kyiv. “Say that people matter. Freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters.”