Tipsheet

Biden Refuses to Take Questions as He Authorizes Additional $800 Million in New Security for Ukraine

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  March 16, 2022 3:15 PM

President Joe Biden on Wednesday authorized $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine after he spoke for a little over seven minutes. He did not take any questions, even as reporters could be heard asking them. As Biden acknowledged, this brings the total cost of new assistance in the past week to $1 billion. 

In his remarks, Biden commended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to Ukrainian "courage and strength" that has inspired the world. Biden also offered that "America is leading this effort, together with our allies and partners, providing enormous levels of security and humanitarian assistance that we're adding to today, and we're going to continue to add more in the days and weeks ahead." This includes sanctions. 

A short time later, Biden further touched upon assistance, promoting America's role in this regard. "In fact, we started our assistance to Ukraine before this war began, as they started to do exercises along the Ukrainian border, the Russians, started in March of last year. We took the threat of Putin invading very seriously, and we acted on it. We sent Ukrainians more security systems last year, $650 million in weapons... before the invasion," Biden said, pointing out it was "more than we had ever provided before." 

"So when the invasion began," Biden continued, "they already in their hands the kind of weapons that needed to counter Russian advances. And once the war started, we immediately rushed $350 million in additional aid to further address their needs," which included more equipment. The president offered that the aid has "clearly helped Ukraine inflict dramatic losses on Russian forces." 

Biden also mentioned the $200 million his administration authorized last Saturday, which will allow for "a steady flow of weapons and ammunition" to get to Ukraine. 

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He promised this current package will provide for "unprecedented assistance to Ukraine" and made mention of a key request from Zelenskyy, which is that Ukraine is provided with aircraft to defend the skies from Russian attacks that have targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. Biden also highlighted the inclusion of drones, "which demonstrates our commitment to sending our most cutting edge systems to Ukraine for its defense."

As Katie mentioned earlier on Wednesday, Zelenskyy had given a virtual address to a joint session of Congress, which included him once more requesting a no-fly zone, or, at the very least, aircraft to defend against Russian attacks. 

In his address, Biden commended allies and partners for sending equipment as well as the equipment that will be sent in the coming days. Further aid will include humanitarian assistance and financial assistance to help the Ukrainian economy.

Toward the end of his remarks, Biden emphasized the use of sanctions. "Together with our allies and partners, we will keep up the pressure on Putin's crumbling economy, isolating him on the global stage," with the president emphasizing it's "our goal" to "make Putin pay the price, weaken his position while strengthening the hand of the Ukrainians on the battlefield and at the negotiating table." 

In his own remarks earlier in the day, Zelenskyy called for even more sanctions.

"I call on you to do more new packages of sanctions are needed constantly, every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based. We propose that the United States sanctions all politicians in the Russian Federation who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for their aggression against Ukraine. From state Duma members to the last official who has lack of morale to break this state terror. All American companies must leave Russia from their market. Leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood," Zelenskyy said. 

In his passionate pleas, Zelenskyy emphasized a sense of gratitude for American efforts thus far. Previous remarks from Zelenskyy, while still reflecting a sense of gratitude, also had a bit of an "I told you so" tone. 

During a Saturday morning address to 280 members of Congress earlier this month, Zelenskyy had said that "If you had started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war." 

The Biden administration had been hesitant to impose sanctions until very shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine, with members such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken claiming imposing sanctions too soon would have them lose their deterrent effect. Shortly after Russia invaded last month, President Biden addressed the nation, where he also claimed while responding to questions that "no one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening." 

Following the president's remarks, the White House released a fact sheet about the aid.