Biden Outlines New Sanctions Against Russia

The United States will prohibit the entry of ships under the Russian flag or otherwise associated with the Russian Federation into its ports. This announcement was made by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday while addressing the situation surrounding Ukraine from the White House.

“Today I am announcing that the U.S. will ban the entry of Russian-associated ships into our ports, as Europe has done, meaning that no ship bearing the Russian flag, owned or operated by a person from Russia, will be allowed to dock in U.S. ports,” he said.

Military Aid
Biden emphasized that Washington is sending a new military aid package to Ukraine valued at $800 million, which includes heavy artillery and 144,000 missiles, as well as drones.
“Today I am announcing an additional $800 million in assistance. This package includes heavy artillery, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition for those howitzers, as well as drones,” he stated.

Biden noted that the U.S. administration will send an additional request to Congress next week to increase military assistance to Kyiv. “I have nearly exhausted my authority in terms of allocating financial resources that Congress provided to Ukraine last month. Next week, I will need to send an additional budget request to Congress to ensure the uninterrupted supply of weapons to Kyiv,” he said.

Support for Ukraine's Economy
Biden mentioned that Washington will provide an additional $500 million in economic assistance to Kyiv. “Today, the U.S. announces its intention to provide an additional $500 million in direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government,” he said.
He clarified that, with this new funding, the total U.S. economic assistance to Ukraine over the last two months will amount to $1 billion. Biden explained that these funds are allocated to help stabilize the economy, pay wages, and provide necessary services to the population.

Refugee Admission Program
Biden noted that the new American program to admit refugees from Ukraine, provided they have a sponsor, is designed to expedite their arrival in the United States.
As the American leader stated, this program will allow Ukrainian asylum seekers to travel directly from Europe to the United States and will fill the available legal pathways for Ukrainians, including immigrant visas and refugee case processing.
“This will allow expedited migration from Europe to the United States for Ukrainians who have an American sponsor, such as family or a community organization,” Biden added.