Biden says Ukraine should attend G20 meetings if efforts to expel Russia unsuccessful
President Joe Biden wants Russia removed from the G20, but stressed that it is the organisation’s decision adding that an alternative would be for Ukraine to attend as an observer.
Mr Biden was speaking at a press conference at Nato Headquarters following meetings with leaders of both the alliance and the G7 in an extraordinary day of summits in Brussels over the invasion of Ukraine.
The president also said that he warned China not to help Russia or risk its economy; there would be an appropriate response to the use of chemical weapons; and that he will likely be visiting refugees at the Polish border tomorrow.
Mr Biden is now meeting with the European Council in a day focussed on allied unity.
Thursday’s meetings are to coordinate with Nato allies on military assistance for Ukraine, new sanctions on Russia, and the boosting of defences in Eastern Europe. The US has also now officially accused Russian forces of war crimes in Ukraine.
The US also announced it will welcome 100,000 refugees displaced by the Russian invasion — one of the country’s biggest refugee intakes in years.
At home, the latest polling shows the majority of Americans want the president to take a tougher stance on Russia, while his approval rating remains unchanged since the beginning of the conflict in Europe.
Americans applying for jobless aid is lowest since 1969
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in 52 years as the U.S. job market continues to show strength in the midst of rising costs and ongoing virus pandemic.
Jobless claims fell by 28,000 to 187,000 for the week ending March 19, the lowest since September of 1969, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time applications for jobless aid generally track the pace of layoffs.
The White House has released a statement from President Joe Biden regarding today’s encouraging unemployment insurance claims.
Americans are getting back to work at a historic pace, with fewer Americans on unemployment insurance today than at any time in the last half century. This morning, we received news that the number of Americans on unemployment insurance fell to its lowest level since 1970 and the number of Americans filing new claims fell to its lowest one-week level since 1969.
This historic progress is no accident: it’s the result of an economic strategy to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out, starting with the American Rescue Plan. And, it’s the result of effective management of emergency pandemic resources that resulted in 75% of adult Americans vaccinated and 99% of schools re-opened.
We have more work to do to cut costs for families, but today’s data are a reminder that the US economy is uniquely well positioned to deal with the global challenge of inflation. We will continue the fight to lower costs with every tool at our disposal, from making more here in America and rebuilding our supply chains, to lowering costs that have held back Americans for decades, to promoting competition to ensure markets can operate effectively and consumers are protected.
Oliver O’Connell25 March 2022 01:45
White House forms team to plan for possible use of chemical, biological, nuclear weapons by Russia
A senior administration official has confirmed reporting by The New York Times that the White House has set up a team of national security officials to plan for what happens if Russia uses chemical, biological, or tactical nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine.
The US and allies are concerned the Kremlin might resort to such a move as its invasion struggles against Ukrainian resistance and Moscow’s own issues. The Biden administration has been warning of such a possibility since the early days of the war — perhaps as a false flag operation.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan sent a memo on 28…
Read More: Biden speech today: President wants Russia removed from G20, hopes to visit refugees in Poland