Biden vows additional $1 bn aid to Ukraine

Brussels, March 25

President Joe Biden and Western allies have pledged new sanctions and humanitarian aid in response to Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, but their offers fell short of the more robust military assistance that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for in a pair of live-video appearances.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg with troops in Bardufoss, Norway. REUTERS

Biden also announced the US would welcome up to 1,00,000 Ukrainian refugees — though he said many probably prefer to stay closer to home — and provide an additional USD 1 billion in food, medicine, water and other supplies.

Chemical weapon claim a tactic: Kremlin

The Kremlin said on Friday that US talk of Russia possibly resorting to chemical weapons in Ukraine was a tactic to divert attention from awkward questions for Washington.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a conference call with reporters that the military would submit proposals to President Vladimir Putin on how Russia should strengthen its defences in response to NATO beefing up its eastern flank. Reuters

India’s position unsatisfactory: White House

A senior White House official said on Friday that India’s position at the United Nations over the crisis in Ukraine had been “unsatisfactory” but was also unsurprising given its historical relationship with Russia
Mira Rapp-Hooper, director for the Indo-Pacific on the White House National Security Council, said during a panel discussion that it was necessary to provide India with alternatives to continued close ties with Russia. Reuters

The Western leaders spent Thursday crafting next steps to counter Russia’s month-old invasion — and huddling over how they might respond should Putin deploy chemical, biological or even a nuclear weapon.

They met in a trio of emergency summits that had them shuttling across Brussels for back-to-back-to-back meetings of NATO, the Group of Seven industrialised nations and the 27-member European Council. Biden, in an early evening news conference after the meetings, warned that a chemical attack by Russia “would trigger a response in kind”. “You’re asking whether NATO would cross. We’d make that decision at the time,” Biden said.

However, a White House official said later that did not imply any shift in the US position against direct military action in Ukraine. Biden and NATO allies have stressed that the US and NATO would not put troops on the ground. — AP

Hungary rejects ukraine prez’s appeal for weapons

Budapest: Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday rejected an emotional appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to supply Ukraine with weapons and support sanctions on Russia’s energy sector. AP

Safe passage for ships

Russia said it would offer safe passage starting Friday to 67 ships from 15 foreign countries stranded in Ukrainian ports due to the conflict. AP

Chernobyl Functioning hit

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been told by Ukrainian authorities that Russian shelling was preventing worker rotations in and out of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. It said Russian forces have shelled Ukrainian checkpoints in the city of Slavutych, home to many Chernobyl workers. ap