President Joe Biden marked one month since the war began in Ukraine by hitting Russia with more economic sanctions Thursday and backing its expulsion from the Group of 20 world leaders, a move that would further isolate the Kremlin and restrict its role in the global economy.
Biden said at a news conference in Brussels that he supports calls to boot Russia from the G-20, which is made up of leaders from the world’s major economies. He noted the final decision rests with the group’s membership.
“The single most important thing is for us to stay unified,” Biden said after a trio of summits in which European allies asserted they would help Ukraine and punish Russia for as long as it takes.
In addition to new sanctions, the United States and its allies announced more humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians and discussed beefing up forces in Eastern Europe in the near and longer term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said, can take anything thrown at him for another month, so the alliance must not crack. Biden said that’s why he asked for an emergency meeting of NATO Thursday, which was followed by a meeting with the leaders of the other G-7 countries and another with all 27 leaders of European Union countries.
Trans-Atlantic “solidarity remains vital,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted.
Here are highlights from the first full day of Biden’s four-day trip to Europe:
More sanctions against Russia
Biden and U.S. allies slapped Russia with more sanctions, even as Putin’s economy is shrinking to half the size it was before the invasion.
Leaders of the Group of Seven, or G-7, which is made up of the world’s leading economies, said they would restrict the Russian Central Bank’s use of gold in transactions. Western leaders kicked Russia out of the group in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea.
The United States announced a new round of sanctions targeting defense companies, the head of Russia’s largest bank and more than 300 members of the Russian State Duma.
If the G-20 lets Russia stay in the group, Ukraine should be allowed to attend its meetings, Biden said.
Russia, which had the world’s 11th-largest economy before the invasion of Ukraine, will fall out of the top 20 because of the sanctions imposed by NATO allies, a senior administration official said.
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More humanitarian assistance
The United States will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and others fleeing Russia’s invasion and provide more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance, the administration announced.
The funding will pay for food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance.
Although many Ukrainian refugees prefer to remain in Europe where they will be closer to family and their homes, the Biden administration is working to expand and develop programs with a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the USA.
Food shortages worldwide have been a major concern as Russia and Ukraine are top producers of wheat.
“It’s going to be real,” Biden said of food disruptions.
Canada and the United States – also top producers of the crop – discussed how production could be increased.
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Zelenskyy seeks 1% military solution
Addressing leaders by video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1% of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks.”
“When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security,” he said.
He did not repeat his request for a “no-fly” zone.
U.S. and NATO officials have dismissed Zelenskyy’s frequent no-fly requests over concerns that defending Ukrainian skies would risk an escalation of the war.
“We have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from becoming a full-fledged war in Europe,” Stoltenberg said.
Zelenskyy did not ask for Ukraine to become a member of the alliance. Russia is opposed to Ukraine joining NATO, one of the conditions Moscow set in the failed negotiations before troops invaded Ukraine.
Biden warns Russia not to use chemical weapons
Biden said the United States and NATO allies would “respond” if Russia used chemical weapons.
“The nature of the responses depend on the nature of the use,” he said.
Biden would not expand on whether the United States has gathered specific intelligence that show if Putin is using chemical weapons.
Video:Zelenskyy defiant in speech to NATO summit after monthlong Russian invasion
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Calling out China
NATO leaders called on China and other countries “to abstain from supporting Russia’s war effort in any way and to refrain from any action that helps Russia circumvent sanctions.”
Biden said he is “hopeful” that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not assist Russia in its war against Ukraine but declined to say whether he’s seen any indications that China will intervene.
“China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the West than it is to Russia,” Biden said. “And so I’m hopeful that he does not get engaged.”
Biden said he “made no threats” to Xi last week when the presidents held a virtual meeting but pointed out the number of American companies that have pulled out of Russia as a result of Putin’s “barbaric behavior.”
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What’s next?
Biden heads to Warsaw, Poland, on Friday for a meeting with President Andrzej Duda and a possible meeting with Ukrainian refugees. The two leaders are likely to discuss how allies are responding to the humanitarian crisis sparked by the war.
The White House did not respond to questions about whether Biden would interact with refugees in Europe. Biden hinted at his news conference Thursday that such a meeting would take place.
“I plan on attempting to see those folks as well as, I hope, I’m going to be able to see – guess I’m not supposed to say where I’m going, am I?” Biden said. “But anyway, I hope I get to see a lot of people.”
Saturday, Biden will deliver remarks on the efforts to hold Russia accountable for the war before returning to Washington.
Contributing: Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin
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