UPDATE: In a Thursday presser from the White House, U.S. Pres. Joe Biden, pledged continued support to war-torn Ukraine. Russian forces have retreated from Kyiv (pronounced Keev) but there is a long road of conflict ahead. In a reference to a famous Franklin D. Roosevelt quote, he said that the U.S. is speakin softly and carryin a large javelin." The Battle fo Kyiv was a vicotry for Ukraine with unprecendted support from the U.S.
After an update on the current status of the Russia-Ukraine confrontation, Biden pledged an additional $800 million package of security assitance to Ukraine. This week's assitance covers artillery and weapons needed to fight in the Donbas region with includes tactical drones. Importantly, he said the aid that has been provided helps faciliate the tranfer of assitance from other allies. The rpedient was not
Since the length of the war is an unknown, today on the 57th day of the battle the president anticipated that financial support may stop at some point. The funding that has been released so far has been granted with presidential powers which Biden says will end. In order to sustain assistance, next week he will send a supplemental budget request to the Congress to help further fund Ukraine's continued fight. He thanked the Congress for their support of the people of Ukraine thus far.
The U.S. is also providing another $500 milion in direct economic assitance to the battered country bringing the total funding from the U.S to date to $ 1 billion dollars in the past two months.
Biden also announced the latest sanction against Russia. The U.S. is als banning Russian ships. "No ship sailing under a Russian Fag can dock on our shores,," said Biden.
He acknoweldged that as the war goes on there is the potential for division among allies. "The most important thing right now is mainitianing unity" within the internationl community he said. "So far, so good," Biden added.
Displaying pride in Ukraine's bravery the POTUS reconized, "We don't know how long it's going to last but we do know Kyiv still stands. Pres. Zelensky still remains in power."
Russia struck back with its own sanctions against the U.S, barrin ie PRes. Kamala Harris and other officals from entering the country. Alon with Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, her name was added to a list of previously realsed other individuals initially included on the sanctions list were President Biden, Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director William Burns, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, deputy assistant national security adviser Duleep Singh, Director of the Agency for International Development Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo and president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank Reta Joe Lewis.