A person stands with a hand-crafted plaque as community groups of North East Ukraine gather on the Gray statue in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to mark the primary anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Ian Forsyth | Getty’s paintings
WASHINGTON — The United States marked the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Friday by authorizing $2 billion in aid to Ukraine and increasing sanctions and tariffs on Moscow to bolster Kiev’s war effort.
President Joe Biden and leaders of the Group of Seven World’s Leading Economies also met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and agreed to stay united in supporting Ukraine as Russia continues its offensive. These countries have taken the lead in sending military and financial aid to Ukraine and attempting to contain the Russian economy to be able to limit the ability of its attack.
The G-7 leaders reiterated their position that Russia provoked the war and that Russia can end it. By then, the allies, which include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, and an unnamed member of the European Union, have agreed to support Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia.
“We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to instantly, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from all territory of Ukraine recognized by the international community,” reads a joint statement issued after the meeting.
Lots of the key points within the statement remain unchanged from the group’s previous positions. It emphasized that Russia’s attack on Ukraine was a violation of sovereignty and respect for human rights, which was contrary to the UN Charter. As well as, the group warned of “serious consequences” if Russia uses chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons.
In a press release, the group reminded Russia of the choice taken on the G-20 meeting in Bali, where all members, including Russia, agreed that the use or threat of using nuclear weapons is “unacceptable.” Earlier this week, Russia said it was suspending its participation within the Recent START Treaty, the one remaining nuclear deal between it and the U.S.
The meeting of G-7 leaders got here at a time when the United States and other Ukraine allies took advantage of the yr’s mark of war to attempt to bolster Ukraine’s defenses and weaken the Russian economy.
The arms package announced Friday by the Department of Defense includes contract funding for HIMARS missiles, anti-drone drones and equipment, mine clearing devices, 155mm artillery rounds and secure lines of communication.
The Biden administration also said it could achieve this impose sanctions on greater than 200 individuals and entities linked to the Russian war effort, including by targeting the country’s metallurgical and mining sectors. The US has also said it can increase export controls on Russian goods and increase tariffs on Russian products resembling metals and minerals.
Biden has been adamant about showing US support for Ukraine because the war drags on into its second yr.
On Monday, the president paid a surprise visit to the country’s capital, Kiev, before leaving for Warsaw, where he delivered a speech on the occasion of the anniversary. Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine, calling the war an example of authoritarianism against democracy and denouncing the actions of Russian forces, which Biden says constitute war crimes.
On February 1, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that regional authorities had recorded greater than 65,000 Russian war crimes since Moscow invaded Ukraine nearly a yr ago.
Kostin said his teams have also documented greater than 14,000 Ukrainian children forced to adopt in Russia.
Before leaving Poland, he met with the leaders of the Bucharest 9 countries, that are a part of the eastern flank of the NATO alliance, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The leaders agreed to proceed their support for the war-weary country.
The brand new US aid funding announced on Friday comes from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. As a substitute of directly shipping equipment, as is the case with presidential payouts, security initiative funding authorizes contracts to buy equipment.