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- The administration has sent nearly $4 billion in aid to Ukraine since Biden took office.
- Ukrainian refugees can come to the U.S. under a new program that launches Monday.
- Biden’s ban on Russian ships in U.S. ports follows EU sanctions.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday committed $800 million in additional military aid to Ukraine and rolled out a process for the U.S. to welcome Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war beginning next week.
Biden also said he will ban Russian ships from U.S. ports, following the European Union and other countries that have imposed a similar ban.
In remarks from the White House’s Roosevelt Room, Biden said the additional military aid will ensure a steady flow of weapons and equipment into Ukraine over the next few weeks and send an unmistakable message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He will never succeed in dominating and occupying all of Ukraine,” Biden said.
More:‘Speak softly and carry a large Javelin’: Biden unveils latest $800M military aid package. Ukraine updates
The latest infusion of security assistance, which matches a military drawdown of the same amount last week, includes 72 howitzers, 72 truck to tow them, 121 Phoenix Ghost drones, other heavy artillery weapons and 144,000 rounds of ammunition. Biden said the aid will “further augment Ukraine’s ability” to fight Russian attacks in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region.
“We’re in a critical window now of time, where they’re going to set the stage for the next phase of this war,” Biden said
Biden: ‘No evidence’ Mariupol has fallen
The assistance brings the total U.S. aid to Ukraine during Biden’s presidency to about $4 billion. That includes $3.4 billion since Putin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Biden said he’s nearly exhausted the level of aid authorized by Congress last month and will seek approval of a future supplemental budget request.
Ahead of his remarks, Biden met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyha at the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly pushed Western allies, particularly the U.S., to provide more aid amid allegations that Putin directed war crimes and genocide.
How much aid has US given to Ukraine? US military aid to Ukraine surpasses $3 billion under Biden. Here’s what’s been provided
Biden said his administration is “not sitting on” funds for Ukraine approved by Congress and that it’s going directly to the “frontlines of freedom.” He said not all assistance is advertised.
“Sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large Javelin, because we’re sending a lot of those in as well,” Biden said, taking about surface-to-air Javelin missiles and playing off a famous like from President Theodore Roosevelt.
Biden also announced $500 million in direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government. His remarks came as Putin claimed victory in the heavily contested Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the eastern Donbas region. Biden pushed back against Putin’s claims in response to a question from a reporter.
“It’s questionable whether he does control Mariupol,” said Biden, who departed on a presidential swing through Portland, Oregon, and Seattle after his speech. “There’s no evidence yet that Mariupol has completely fallen.”
Ukrainian refugee program kicks off next week
Ukrainians displaced by the war in their country will be allowed to seek temporary refuge in the United States under a new program the Biden administration announced Thursday.
Biden has promised the U.S. would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled their homeland after it was invaded by Russian forces.
Starting next week, U.S. citizens and groups will be able to apply to sponsor Ukraine refugees under the Uniting for Ukraine program. They can apply through an online portal that will be available on the Department of Homeland Security website starting April 25.
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Ukrainians who are given permission to travel to the U.S. under the program will undergo a streamlined approval process that will allow them to live and work in the United States for up to two years.
To qualify, they must have been a resident of Ukraine as of Feb. 11 and have a U.S sponsor. They also will be required to undergo a background check, pass biometric screenings, complete vaccinations and meet other public health requirements.
Sponsors must undergo background screenings to make sure they are able to support the refugees and won’t exploit or abuse them.
Biden said the program will complement existing legal pathways available to Ukrainians, such as immigrant visas and refugee processing, and will provide an expedited channel for Ukrainians who have a U.S. sponsor to secure legal migration from Europe to the United States.
“This program will be fast, it will be streamlined and it will ensure the United States honors its commitment to the people of Ukraine,” he said.
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The vetting process for refugees is expected to take about a week, said senior officials with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council, who described the program on the condition of anonymity.
It has taken weeks for the administration to lay out a plan to accept the refugees — leaving thousands of refugees in limbo as they tried to map their next move after fleeing their home country amid attacks from Russia.
The delay also led to some Ukrainians heading to the U.S.-Mexico border to try and seek asylum. Title 42, which allows U.S. border agents to expel asylum seekers to Mexico to prevent the spread of coronavirus, is still in place. However, there are exceptions to the policy and some Ukrainians were able to be processed to come to the United States.
Ukrainians and southern border:Refugees from Ukraine wait in Tijuana for permission to enter US
The U.S. has processed close to 15,000 undocumented Ukrainian nationals over the past three months, most of them entering the country through the border with Mexico, the officials said.
Last month, 5,071 Ukrainian people were detained while entering the United States at land, sea or air borders last month, according to data from Customs and Border Protection. That was up from 1,146 Ukrainians who were detained in February. Many of the Ukrainians who were detained last month came through the United States’ southern border.
The administration earlier this year announced deportation protections to Ukrainians already in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security granted temporary protected status to Ukrainians in early March. On Monday, the agency extended eligibility for the program, allowing those who arrived by April 11 to apply for TPS, which allows them to stay in the United States for 18 months and apply for work permits.
Back into Ukraine:‘We believe in the Ukrainian army’: Historic flood of refugees slows as some decide to stay put
Russian ship ban aimed at stripping benefits of ‘international’ economy
Biden’s ban on Russian ships from entering U.S. ports follows a series of escalating economic sanctions on Russia in retaliation for the war in Ukraine.
No ship that sails under the Russian flag or that is owned or operated by Russian interests will be allowed to dock in a U.S. port or access U.S. shores, Biden said during remarks from the Roosevelt Room in the White House.
Biden said the ban would further deny Russia “the benefits of international economic system that they so enjoyed in the past.”
Earlier this month, the European Union banned Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from accessing ports in its 27-nation bloc but provided exemptions for agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid and energy. The United Kingdom and Canada also have banned Russian ships from their ports.
Joey Garrison and Michael Collins cover the White House. Follow Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison and Collins @mcollinsNEWS.
Contributing: Rebecca Morin
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