Today's summary
- Joe Biden will meet with Nato alliance leaders and the European Commission next week about the situation in Ukraine.
- Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova, 24, were killed when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire. Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was also wounded in the incident.
- Sarah Bloom Raskin withdrew her nomination for Federal Reserve Board following staunch opposition from Republicans.
- The White House is warning of dire consequences should Covid-19 relief funding remain stalled in Congress.
That’s all for today – thanks for following along. You can keep up to date with news from Ukraine here, in our dedicated live blog:
Updated
While Joe Biden hasn’t changed his stance on facilitating the Polish fighter jets to Ukraine or establishing a no-fly zone, it looks like there’s still some movement in Congress to exert some pressure.
McConnell signals that GOP still undecided on trying to force administration’s hand on Ukraine fighter jet issue. Asked him if getting MiGs to Ukraine is an issue he’ll insist on getting into legislation, and he said “exactly how to make that happen is still under discussion.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 15, 2022
Talks between Dems and GOP over stripping Russia of its trade status have yet to lead to an agreement as the two sides are still haggling over the bill language.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 15, 2022
Pelosi promised to pass the bill in the House this week. But a bipartisan deal would ease its passage in the Senate.
Sherrod Brown, the chair of the Senate banking committee, has made a comment on Sarah Bloom Raskin:
Sherrod Brown, Senate Banking chairman: “Republicans engaged in a disingenuous smear campaign, distorting Ms. Raskin’s views beyond recognition and made unsubstantiated attacks on her character. Committee Democrats were united, and we did our jobs.” (Manchin not on the committee)
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 15, 2022
Updated
Joe Biden has issued a statement about Sarah Bloom Raskin withdrawing her nomination from the Federal Reserve Board:
After serving as the second-in-command at treasury and with prior service on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Sarah Bloom Raskin knows better than anyone how important the Federal Reserve is to fighting inflation and continuing a sustainable economic recovery. She has unparalleled experience pursuing solutions to enhance our country’s critical financial infrastructure, with expertise in cybersecurity and climate risk, and protecting consumers in the financial marketplace.
Sarah’s nomination had broad support—from the banking and financial services community, former members of the Board of Governors, multiple Nobel Prize winners, consumer advocates, and respected economists from around the country. That experience and support are among the many reasons why I nominated Sarah to be the vice chair for supervision, a critical role in regulating our nation’s financial institutions.
Despite her readiness—and despite having been confirmed by the Senate with broad, bipartisan support twice in the past—Sarah was subject to baseless attacks from industry and conservative interest groups. Unfortunately, senate Republicans are more focused on amplifying these false claims and protecting special interests than taking important steps toward addressing inflation and lowering costs for the American people.
I am grateful for Sarah’s service to our country and for her willingness to serve again, and I look forward to her future contributions to our country.
I urge the senate banking committee to move swiftly to confirm the four eminently qualified nominees for the Board of Governors—Jerome Powell, Lael Brainard, Philip Jefferson, and Lisa Cook—who are still waiting for an up-or-down vote. This group has the experience, judgment, and talent necessary to lead the Federal Reserve at this critical moment in our economic recovery, and the senate should move their nominations forward.
Ukrainian journalist killed in attack on Fox News team
Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova was killed in the same attack that killed Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and wounded Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall yesterday.
Adding to our sadness at @FoxNews - Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova was also killed in the attack against our Fox News team. Sasha was working for us as a local producer. Prayers going out to her family.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) March 15, 2022
This comes a few days after Brent Renaud, an award-winning US film-maker, was killed reportedly by Russian forces in the town of Irpin. A US photographer, Juan Arredondo, was wounded in the same incident.
More than half of Americans do not think Joe Biden will run for re-election in 2024, a new poll has found.
The poll, conducted by the Wall Street Journal between 2-7 March, revealed that 52% of Americans do not think Biden, 79, will run again in two years while 29% expect him to do so.
41% of Democrats indicated that they think Biden will pursue re-election while 32% said otherwise. 26% remained uncertain.
Biden has said that he plans to run. At the first formal news conference of his presidency, he said: “My answer is yes. I plan on running for re-election. That’s my expectation.”
In December, Biden reiterated his plans to run again, telling ABC News: “If I’m in the health I’m in now, if I’m in good health, then in fact, I would run again.”
In 2021, Biden made history by being the oldest American president sworn in for the firt time. Before that, Donald Trump was the oldest president inaugurated for the first time, at 70.
The WSJ poll also revealed that 49% of Americans expect Trump to run for a third time while 27% did not. Just under a quarter of voters remained unsure.
Among Republicans, 60% believed Trump will pursue reelection.
Asked who they would vote for in a hypothetical rematch, voters were split 45%-45%, unchanged since the WSJ’s previous poll, in November.
Sarah Bloom Raskin withdraws nomination from Federal Reserve Board
Following staunch opposition from the Republicans, Sarah Bloom Raskin has withdrawn her nomination from the Federal Reserve Board, the New Yorker is reporting.
Breaking: Sarah Bloom Raskin Withdraws Her Nomination to the Federal Reserve Board https://t.co/IPoDqYH0Mv
— Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) March 15, 2022
Republicans last month boycotted a meeting to vote the nominations for Federal Reserve Board - including the chair - to the next step in the process because of their opposition to Raskin.
In particular, they were concerned that her views on the climate crisis could harm fossil fuel companies. In addition, she is married to Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin, who helped lead the second impeachment of Donald Trump.
But the White House has stood by their nomination, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying yesterday, “She is one of the most qualified individuals to be nominated to this position.”
Though the White House said they would work on garnering bipartisan support for Bloom after senator Joe Manchin announced he would be parting with the Democrats on this vote, Psaki would not confirm any actual Republicans they had on board.
Joe Biden said the US and its allies were overcoming “exceedingly difficult” conditions to get humanitarian supplies into Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House, as he signed the consolidated appropriations act into law, the president said his administration’s priority was to provide essential supplies for civilians suffering during the “rapidly evolving crisis” caused by Russian attacks.
“We’re airlifting emergency relief supplies in staging positions in the region, thermal blankets, water treatment equipment, so they can be shipped into Ukraine,” the president said. “Essentials like soap, laundry detergent, simple sounding things to refugees who fled really with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“It’s exceedingly difficult to get supplies into Ukraine while the Russian onslaught continues. But we’re managing to get supplies in... thanks to the bravery of so many frontline workers who are still at their posts.”
Biden said the world food program, with US support, had purchased 20,000 metric tons of food “to address the growing needs of individuals affected by this conflict” at refugee reception centers in countries neighboring Ukraine.
“With billions more included in this bill for new humanitarian assistance, we’re going to be able to quickly ramp up our response and help alleviate the suffering that Putin’s war is causing the Ukrainian people in the region.” Biden added.
The US Congress last week passed a $13.6bn aid package for Ukraine, which Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said was more than double what Biden’s administration originally asked for.
Today so far
- Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week to meet with the leaders of the Nato alliance and the European Commission about the war in Ukraine.
- The announcement of the trip comes as pressure on Biden grows to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine and to facilitate the transfer of fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden’s stance on those points have not changed.
- The White House warned of dire consequences if Covid relief funding remains stalled in Congress.
- Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell called for the White House to pull their nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin for Federal Reserve board following yesterday’s announcement from Democratic senator Joe Manchin saying he will not vote to confirm her.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration is having “ongoing internal discussions about how we can play the most effective role in supporting the large number of refugees who are coming out of Ukraine” but would not reveal anything more about actually bringing refugees to the US.
Psaki said most of the assistance the US has been providing in terms of the refugee crisis has been in the “large number of humanitarian assistance that we are providing not just to Ukraine but to neighboring countries that are providing a haven for refugees as they’re leaving Ukraine.”
When pushed further, Psaki said, “The president would welcome Ukrainians coming here. Currently they can apply through the refugee process, but we’re discussing what other options may exist.”
Russia today announced personal sanctions against Joe Biden and a number of other administration officials, including White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
When asked about the sanctions at today’s press briefing, Psaki responded, “I would first note that President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace.”
She continued: “The second piece I would say that won’t surprise any of you is that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts that we won’t be able to access, so we will just forge ahead.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki took a moment at the beginning of the briefing to go off on how the US has struck Russia on an economic front since the invasion began:
“We’ve made President Putin’s war of choice a strategic failure,” she said. “The unprecedented cost we imposed with allies and partners have reversed 30 years of economic progress, something that President Putin himself has pushed for, and that has happened in less than a month.
She continued: “It hard at the things that President Putin cares for the most - degrading his military, access to cutting edge technology, an ability to exert power and influence.”
Psaki pointed out that with the central bank reserves, about half of Putin’s war chest has been immobilized. “He can’t use these rainy day funds to support his war in Ukraine,” she said.
Psaki continued: “The ruble is less than penny. It’s the worst performing emerging market currency. The Russian stock market has been closed for nearly three weeks, the longest in its history as they try to prevent a market crash. Inflation in Russia is rampant. Some forecasters are predicting 20% inflation for Russia by the end of the year. Trillions in dollars of businesses have been disrupted by sanctions, putting the Russian financial sector in severe stress. The economic outlook for the country. Forecasters around the world are projecting a collapse for the country.”
In the private sector, major companies either have left or are leaving Russia as world leaders look to “ratchet up pressure on Putin’s oligarchs”. Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, and attorney general Merrick Garland will tomorrow announce the creation of the Russian elite proxies and oligarchs multilateral task force as “a way to go after corrupt gains of some of the individuals closest to Putin,” Psaki said.
In terms of security assistance, the omnibus package that the president is secheduled to sign this afternoon will provide $13.6bn for Ukraine. That comes in addition to the $1.2bn in security assistance already provided, including $550m in the last two weeks. Psaki noted that Biden has also approved four emergency security assistance packages to provide Ukraine with “the type of weapons they are using so effectively to defend their country”.
Biden remains against establishing no-fly zone, facilitating Polish jets to Ukraine
Despite rising pressure from Congress and the public, Joe Biden remained steady on his stance on establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine and facilitating getting the fighter jets in Poland to Ukraine.
“Nothing has changed about the analysis that the Department of Defense has provided last week,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “Because of the challenges in delivery and the impact, providing these would be greater risk than there would be benefit.”
Psaki on Biden: "He continues to believe that a no-fly zone could be escalatory and could prompt a war with Russia."
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) March 15, 2022
The way the US has been aiding Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression is by “providing the type of military assistance and equipment that the Ukrainians have used to push back and fight in the last 19 days. “That is what we will continue to do with the omnibus,” Psaki said.
Updated
White House warns of 'dire consequences' if Covid relief funding stalls in Congress
White House press secretary Jen Psaki kicked off today’s press briefing by warning of “dire consequences” should Covid-19 relief funding remains stalled in Congress.
The White House had originally requested $22.5bn in Covid relief funding, which Democrats negotiated down to $15bn. Ultimately, however, the funding had to be taken out of the $1.5tn omnibus package in order for it to pass.
Psaki warned that without the funding, there will be “fewer monoclonal antibodies sent to states, an inability to purchase additional treatments, fewer tests, less surveillance for future variants and a risk of running short on vaccines.”
Democrats have expressed frustration with how the White House has handled the funding issue, but Psaki made it clear that the administration has been communicating with Congress about the funding since January, in more than three dozen calls and meetings and briefings with committees.
“With cases rising abroad, scientific and medical experts have been clear that in the next couple of months, there could be increasing cases of Covid-19 here in the United States as well,” Psaki said. “Waiting to provide funding until we’re in a worse spot with the virus could be too late. We need more funding now so that we’re prepared for whatever.”
Updated
Biden to travel to Brussels next week
Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week to meet with the leaders of the Nato alliance and the European Commission to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Biden’s planned 24 March meeting at today’s press briefing.
President Biden @POTUS comes to @NATO HQ next week to participate in an extraordinary meeting of the leaders of all #NATO Allies. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/Pd08Tk2KTs
— US Mission to NATO (@USNATO) March 15, 2022
Updated
How will Biden’s handling of Ukraine go over with US voters?
Joe Biden came into the White House vowing to restore American leadership on the world stage. But the tumultuous end to the war in Afghanistan last year shook Americans’ confidence, raising doubts about Biden’s competence and judgment and sending his approval rating tumbling.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given Biden a second chance to demonstrate the steady leadership he promised, raising hopes among Democrats that the White House’s efforts to punish Moscow for its shocking aggression will resonate with voters in this year’s midterm elections.
But Democrats face stiff headwinds in their attempt to defy historical trends and maintain their narrow majorities in Congress. Among their biggest obstacles are Biden’s deep unpopularity and the rising cost of gas, food and rent, for which Republicans have faulted Democrats.
At the Democrats’ annual retreat in Philadelphia last week, party leaders spoke of a world – and an electorate – reshaped by Russia’s invasion of its democratic neighbor. They said the conflict provided a new clarity of purpose – and a new villain: Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
As the war in Ukraine threatens to push already rising gas prices even higher, Democrats are blaming “Putin’s tax hike”. At the same time, they are touting the administration’s role coordinating a worldwide response to Russia, and the devastating impact of economic sanctions, highlighting a contrast with former president Donald Trump, who has continued to praise Putin.
Full story:
The White House is reopening again for public tours.
INBOX: Public tours are coming back to the White House! pic.twitter.com/AMPasjhUS1
— Asma Khalid (@asmamk) March 15, 2022
US will soon run out of funding for Covid relief – report
If spending legislation remains stalled in Congress, the US will soon run out of funding for Covid booster shots, new treatments and testing efforts, a Biden administration official told NBC News.
To recap: the White House requested $22.5bn in Covid relief funding. Democrats negotiated the funding down to $15bn, but still had to take it out of the $1.5tn omnibus package in order for it to pass.
The federal government is already planning to cancel the purchase of additional monoclonal antibody treatments that it had expected to order as soon as next week - with the country’s supply of monoclonal antibody treatments expected to run out as soon as late May.
“The bottom line is, without additional funding, thousands of patients could lose access to treatments, and these companies will have little incentive to continue investing in the development and manufacturing of these treatments,” the official said.
Updated
Republicans have long opposed the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Federal Reserve board, last month boycotting a meeting to vote on moving the nominations to the next step in the process.
In particular, they were concerned that her views on the climate crisis could harm fossil fuel companies. In addition, she is married to Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin, who helped lead the second impeachment of Donald Trump.
But the White House has stood by their nomination, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying yesterday, “She is one of the most qualified individuals to be nominated to this position.”
Though the White House said they would work on garnering bipartisan support for Bloom after senator Joe Manchin announced he would be parting with the Democrats on this vote, Psaki would not confirm any actual Republicans they had on board.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on the White House today to replace Sarah Bloom Raskin with a different nominee for the Federal Reserve board.
“It’s not surprising that there’s bipartisan senate opposition to such a radical nominee,” McConnell said, referencing yesterday’s announcement from moderate Democratic senator Joe Manchin saying he would vote to not confirm Raskin.
“It’s past time that the White House admit their mistake and send us somebody suitable.”
FEDERAL RESERVE: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) criticizes Sarah Bloom Raskin, President Biden's nominee for the Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision. pic.twitter.com/VzcvhLKEWq
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 15, 2022
Fox News cameraman killed in Ukraine
Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski was killed in the same attack that wounded correspondent Benjamin Hall yesterday:
Horrible news to report: Fox cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski was killed in the same attack that wounded correspondent Benjamin Hall. I worked with Pierre many times around the world. He was an absolute treasure. Sending our most heartfelt prayers to Pierre's wife and family.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) March 15, 2022
This comes a few days after Brent Renaud, an award-winning US film-maker, was killed reportedly by Russian forces in the town of Irpin. A US photographer, Juan Arredondo, was wounded in the same incident.
Two more House Democrats have tested positive for Covid-19, congressman Andy Kim from New Jersey and congressman Joe Neguse of Colorado.
Just tested positive for COVID
— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) March 15, 2022
Thankfully contact tracing warned me that a contact was positive
Thankfully I have rapid home tests
Thankfully I had no wait for PCRtest at pharmacy
Thankfully I got vaccinated
Thankfully my sweet son slipped a get well card under door
THREAD pic.twitter.com/xr9zFOwaH3
Quick update on the health front — I’ve tested positive for COVID. Grateful to be experiencing only mild symptoms thanks to the vaccine & booster.
— Rep. Joe Neguse (@RepJoeNeguse) March 15, 2022
Will be working remotely — for all the Rules Committee nerds, remember we’ve got a hearing at 2 pm (tune in!)
Also, get vaccinated!
A number of House Democrats have tested positive after attending an annual strategy retreat in Philadelphia last week. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Zoe Lofgren of California and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut all tested positive earlier.
The Republican senator Josh Hawley must stop using an infamous picture of him raising his fist to protesters at the US Capitol on January 6 on campaign merchandise, said the news site Politico, which owns the picture.
The shot was taken on 6 January 2021 as Hawley, from Missouri, made his way into the Capitol for the certification of electoral college results in Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.
Supporters Trump told to “fight like hell” in defense of his lie about electoral fraud attacked the Capitol. The attempt to stop certification failed but Hawley was one of 147 Republicans to lodge objections regardless.
A bipartisan Senate report connected seven deaths to the riot. Trump was impeached. Like all but seven Republican senators, Hawley voted to acquit.
12:30PM: Senator Josh Hawley pumps his fist at pro-Trump crowd gathered at the east side of the Capitol before heading into the joint session of Congress. #Jan6NeverAgain #TheBigLie pic.twitter.com/rEFsfLY4x9
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 16, 2021
In February, Hawley’s campaign started selling $20 mugs featuring the picture, with the caption “Show-Me Strong”, a play on Missouri’s “Show-Me State” nickname.
The picture was taken by E&E News, which Politico bought in December. On Monday, Politico said it had sent a cease and desist letter and said: “We do not authorize [the picture’s] use by the Hawley campaign for the purpose of political fundraising, which the campaign has been put on notice of by legal counsel.
“We are eagerly awaiting a response, but in the interim again respectfully ask that the campaign immediately cease and desist unauthorized use of the image.”
A spokesperson for Hawley said: “We haven’t received any correspondence from Politico or anyone else, but we are in full compliance with the law. Perhaps Politico can show us the correspondence they sent to the many liberal groups who also used the photo.”
Full story:
The Secret Service is investigating the growing concern posed by extremists with hatred toward women, the Associated Press is reporting.
The Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center has taken a deeper look into a specific mass shooting on a yoga class in Tallahassee, Florida in 2018 in an effort to study how contempt for women can radicalize men and deadly behavior - especially as misogynistic extremism has increased in recent years, particularly on the Internet.
“The hatred of women requires increased attention from everyone,” said Steve Driscoll, a research specialist at the center. Many recent mass shooters had a history of violence against women, officials said.
When the shooter opened fire on Hot Yoga Tallahassee, he killed two women - Maura Binkley, a 21-year-old senior year at Florida State University, and Nancy Van Vessem, a 61-year-old physician - and wounded six more individuals before killing himself.
The shooter in this case didn’t have a specific label, but he identified with the growing movement of men who call themselves anti-feminists, male supremacists or incels — involuntary celibates. He had a well-documented history of disturbing behavior and warning signs that were missed, investigators said.
A superficial look into his history shows would have just shown a man who “pursued higher education, served in the military, and held highly regarded professional positions of trust,” the study said - he was a substitute teacher and an Eagle Scout.
But when looked at in its entirety, his history of isolated incidents was alarming. He was arrested for groping women and banned from a college campus, and he wrote violent songs about torturing women and posted hateful videos online. He also idolized mass killers who targeted women.
His behavior at times “elicited concern from parents, siblings, friends, roommates, coworkers, workplace managers, school officials, students, law enforcement, the online community, neighbors and other community members,” the study said. His parents slept with their door locked. He got banned from local bars because of his treatment of women. A few people reported his actions to the police.
But no one looked at the whole picture - and on 2 November 2018, he walked into Hot Yoga Tallahassee with a Glock 9mm pistol in his bag.
The case study stressed the importance of speaking up when someone’s behavior is concerning and the need for community stakeholders to have a role in helping to prevent violence.
“Over and over again, we see a tolerance for these objectively concerning behaviors,” said Dr Lina Alathari, chief of the National Threat Assessment Center. “The goal is to ID and assess behavior and to intervene. It is not about prosecution or criminalizing.”
Alathari said this case study, which drew on publicly available documents and details, will be used to train communities on how to better spot warning signs and intervene before violence happens.
“What we can say is early intervention is key,” Alathari said. “This clearly demonstrates that preventing targeted violence is a whole of community approach.”
At a private event in Virginia on Monday night, the senior Republican senator Mitt Romney delivered a stark warning about the threat to US democracy in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are really the only significant experiment in democracy, and preserving liberal democracy is an extraordinary challenge,” the Utah senator and former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee said, according to attendees at the event in McLean who spoke to CBS News.
The event was held to raise funds for Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican whose opposition to Donald Trump over his attempt to overturn his election defeat and the January 6 riot has attracted a far-right challenger backed by the former president and the House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, in her primary this year.
Cheney’s father is Dick Cheney, the former congressman, defense secretary and vice-president to George W Bush. CBS said he and other Republican establishment figures attended the event on Monday, which raised more than $526,000.
Romney, CBS reported, cited the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was following an authoritarian playbook “rehearsed time and time again, over the many thousands of years of world history”.
Cheney voted against impeaching Trump for withholding military aid to Ukraine in an attempt to extract dirt on political rivals. She voted for impeachment for inciting the Capitol attack.
Romney was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump in both his impeachment trials. Trump was twice acquitted, although six other Republicans joined Romney in voting to convict over the attack on Congress.
Full story:
Joe Biden is expected to sign the $1.5tn omnibus package into law today at 2:15pm local time, allowing government spending to continue past the deadline set at midnight tonight (after it was extended from the deadline set last week).
Not included in this package is the $15bn in Covid relief money that Democrats had been pushing for - the White House had asked for $22.5bn. This puts the administration in a bind because the chances of getting a standalone Covid funding bill passed are slim. Punchbowl News is reporting that the Democrats are mad at how the White House handled it all. It appears now that with nothing left to do, the White House will be sending out a letter to congressional leaders about the fallout of not including this funding in the omnibus package.
Meanwhile:
A Senate panel today will vote on establishing an independent commission to probe the US covid response — the closest we’ve come to that idea, more than two years into the pandemic.https://t.co/NYgI9AJQD7
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 15, 2022
Biden mulls European trip as pressure over Ukraine increases
Howdy, live blog readers. Let’s get down to it.
As we enter day 20 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the question that keeps getting asked is what more can the US do to help the fight against Vladimir Putin?
Joe Biden is in a difficult position. Providing too much aid could tip the scales from one country’s war of aggression into a full-blown third world war. Provide not enough and he will face accusations of sitting on his hands in the face of a humanitarian crisis.
As Congress pressures his administration to facilitate the transfer of fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine, and calls to support establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine continue, the White House is reportedly considering sending the president to Europe.
The press secretary, Jen Psaki, remained noncommittal yesterday on concrete plans for a trip but made it clear that all options were on the table.
The vice-president, Kamala Harris, has visited Europe during the conflict, reiterating US commitment to Nato and standing with allies should fighting spread. It’s unclear what a trip from Biden could achieve beyond a humanitarian visit with Ukrainian refugees, which Psaki would not confirm was part of any plans.
What little is known is that a possible stop would be Brussels, home to Nato and the European Union, as officials told Politico.
What is clear is that as horrific images and stories from Ukraine keep coming in, the administration is facing major frustration on all sides. Psaki came under fire from a Fox News reporter who pointed out that Biden said in February the US would respond “forcefully” if Americans were targeted in Ukraine. Now an American filmmaker has been killed and two American journalists injured, some reportedly in a targeted attack by Russian forces.
Other reporters questioned what more the US could do if Putin was showing no signs of deescalation, despite the near-crippling of the Russian economy. Psaki said the US had more options and more consequences could be imposed on Russia - but declined to go into detail.
Updated
