President Joe Biden will journey to Poland on Friday for a briefing on the humanitarian disaster sparked by the month-old warfare in Ukraine and to presumably meet with Ukrainian refugees displaced by the battle.
Greater than 2 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland for the reason that begin of Russia’s invasion of their nation. In Brussels on Thursday, Biden pledged $1 billion in U.S. humanitarian help to refugees fleeing the invasion and hinted he might meet with a few of them personally.
“I hope I get to see lots of people,” he mentioned after a trio of summits with key U.S. allies.
Earlier than departing Brussels, Biden held a bilateral assembly with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen after which america and European Union introduced a brand new activity drive aiming to cut back Europe’s dependence on Russian power.
Biden mentioned the duty drive will deal with two initiatives: serving to Europe cut back its dependency on Russian fuel as shortly as attainable and lowering Europe’s demand for fuel total.
Later in Rzeszów, Poland, Biden will obtain a briefing on the humanitarian response to the struggling of civilians inside Ukraine and the response to the circulate of refugees fleeing the nation. Afterward, he’ll meet with U.S. service members within the 82nd Airborne Division who’ve been deployed to Poland in latest weeks to assist bolster NATO’s japanese flank.
Biden will shut the day by heading to Warsaw, the place on Saturday he’ll meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and ship remarks on the united efforts to assist the folks of Ukraine and maintain Russia accountable for the warfare.
In the meantime, the outskirts of Kharkiv confronted near-constant shelling all through the morning Friday, and in Kyiv, a big fireball explosion was seen earlier than Russia’s navy claimed it destroyed a Ukrainian gasoline base. In Chernihiv, metropolis official Olexander Lomako warned of a “humanitarian disaster” after a Russian strike destroyed a bridge and its forces had begun concentrating on meals provides.
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Newest developments
►The Council of the European Union concluded Russia’s warfare in Ukraine “grossly violates worldwide regulation” after assembly with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday.
►Russia’s navy mentioned it could provide protected passage to overseas ships which have been stranded in Ukrainian ports.
►Ukraine accused Moscow on Thursday of forcibly taking tons of of hundreds of civilians from shattered Ukrainian cities to Russia, the place some could also be used as “hostages” to strain Kyiv to surrender. Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine’s ombudsperson, mentioned 402,000 folks, together with 84,000 youngsters, have been taken towards their will.
300 lifeless in Mariupol theater airstrike, metropolis says
After a Russian airstrike focused a theater within the southeastern metropolis Mariupol the place civilians had been searching for shelter, about 300 persons are lifeless, town’s authorities mentioned Friday.
Mariupol’s authorities made the announcement on its Telegram channel, citing eyewitnesses. It wasn’t instantly clear if excavation efforts on the theater had been full.
The positioning was hit on March 16 and the phrase “CHILDREN” was posted exterior in Russian to discourage an assault on the civilian shelter. Mariupol has confronted a few of the harshest situations amongst Ukrainian cities as Russian forces laid siege to town.
‘Want to search for peace’: Zelenskyy reassures Ukraine in handle
In a night handle to Ukraine late Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of hope and willpower because the warfare headed into its second month.
“It’s already night time. However we’re working,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a video handle. “The nation should transfer towards peace, transfer ahead. With daily of our protection, we’re getting nearer to the peace that we’d like a lot. We’re getting nearer to victory. … We are able to’t cease even for a minute.
Earlier within the week, Zelenskyy referred to as on folks worldwide to assemble in public to indicate assist for his embattled nation. “Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves seen and heard,” he mentioned.
‘Disaster’ unfolding in Ukrainian metropolis, authorities official says
Russian troops are purposefully concentrating on meals shops within the Ukrainian metropolis of Chernihiv, a neighborhood authorities official mentioned.
In an audio message to The Related Press, metropolis council secretary Olexander Lomako mentioned a “disaster” is unfolding within the northern metropolis. Lomako added {that a} Russian airstrike destroyed a bridge over the Desna River this week, a key route for bringing in meals and different provides from Ukraine-controlled territory additional south.
“Humanitarian assist, medicines and meals was delivered into town by way of this bridge,” he advised The Related Press.
Lower than half of the residents, round 130,000, are left within the metropolis from the pre-war inhabitants of 285,000, Lomako mentioned.
— Celina Tebor
Ballot reveals Individuals assist Russian sanctions, assume Biden must be harder
A majority of Individuals are supportive of the tough sanctions on Russia however imagine Biden must be harder on the Kremlin after its invasion of Ukraine, based on a ballot commissioned by the Related Press and NORC launched Thursday.
The ballot, which surveyed 1,082 U.S. adults from Thursday to Monday, discovered 56% of Individuals imagine Biden’s response to Russia hasn’t been robust sufficient, together with a majority of 53% of Democrats. A really small %, about 6%, mentioned they thought Biden had been “too robust,” the ballot reveals.
Throughout the board, Individuals of each political events had been supportive of the tough financial blows to Russia. The ballot confirmed 68% had been supportive of financial sanctions normally with 70% saying they supported the latest banning oil imported from Russia, which in flip brought on fuel costs to rise.
— Christal Hayes
Contributing: The Related Press
