President Joe Biden meets virtually with the leaders of Australia, Japan and India On Thursday morning, to discuss the consequences of the Russian invasion of the Indo-Pacific region, as the White House formally asked Congress for $ 10 billion in additional aid to Ukraine.
Biden will speak at 9:00 a.m. from the Situation Hall via video chat with the leaders of the four Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio.
The goal of Quad Leaders is to address the urgent challenges affecting the Indo-Pacific region.
In particular, Thursday’s meeting will probably look at how to make sure China does not take over Russia’s leadership and does not invade the island nation of Taiwan.
This also comes as concerns are raised about India’s handling of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week.
Russia is a huge arms supplier to India. The state provides military equipment such as missile defense systems, which are crucial in deterring China and Pakistan.
Modi will not condemn the Russian invasion, making India one of 35 countries that abstained from a resolution passed during an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly condemning the attack on President Vladimir Putin.
President Joe Biden holds video conference with leaders of the Quartet on Thursday morning to discuss the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Indo-Pacific region
It comes after Modi from India refused to condemn Russia’s invasion during an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly. Pictured: Damaged civilian settlements after Russian attacks in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Thursday, March 3, 2022
The US Air Force contracted its military muscles at one of its air bases in Japan on Tuesday, demonstrating a fleet of more than two dozen warplanes in an apparent effort to deter Chinese forces from invading the self-governing island of Taiwan.
War in Ukraine: the latest
- Peace talks between the two countries resumed today, with negotiators meeting at the border with Belarus
- Vladimir Putin called Emmanuel Macron to tell him that he did not intend to cancel the invasion, would continue until the “end” and could increase his demands despite the losses
- Russian forces take over the Black Sea port of Kherson in southern Ukraine, the first major city to fall
- The invasion has so far been poorly managed, “a catastrophe, through and through”, say US defense experts
- The second city in Ukraine, Kharkiv, continues to be the target of heavy Russian shelling
- A convoy of Russian vehicles north of Kyiv has stalled due to fuel and food shortages and Ukrainian resistance
- More than a million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion
- Moscow acknowledges that 498 soldiers have died in Ukraine, which is considered an underestimated but still record total for post-Soviet Russia
- ICC chief prosecutor says active investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine “will continue immediately”
- A Bangladeshi sailor was killed in an attack on his ship, moored in the Black Sea port of Olbia
- Russia has announced the possibility of a ceasefire with talks with Ukraine scheduled for Thursday
- Russia tells citizens in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol to leave, raising fears that bombing will intensify
- The UN General Assembly has demanded that Russia withdraw “immediately”. Moscow has won support from only four countries: Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria
- Swedish armed forces say four Russian fighter jets have entered its airspace in the Baltic Sea
- US launches KleptoCapture to seize yachts, private jets and homes of Russian oligarchs
- Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich confirms he is selling the Premier League club
- Ukraine invites the mothers of captured Russian troops to come and pick up their sons
- Closed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny calls on Russians to protest daily against invasion
- The United States is following the EU in targeting sanctions against Russia’s ally Belarus in support of the invasion
China also abstained, while five countries voted against, including North Korea, Syria and, of course, Russia.
More than 140 other nations voted in favor of the condemnation.
Biden said last week that he would discuss with India its position on the invasion of Ukraine when asked during a news conference whether the Asian nation was behind the United States.
“We haven’t solved this completely,” he said at the time.
The Biden administration has officially asked Congress to approve $ 32.5 billion to send additional aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia and to create a kitten for the fight against the coronavirus at home.
Of the total, the White House wants $ 10 billion to tackle the nascent humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as well as to protect its digital network from cyberattacks, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The rest of the money will go to US measures for COVID, fears that more options will emerge just as most of the nation has completed its mask mandates.
“Given the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine, I expect that additional needs may arise over time,” wrote Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young in a letter to lawmakers received by The Post.
Young added that she “expects[s] that additional funding will be needed to support the covid-19 response. “
The Biden administration initially asked lawmakers to provide $ 6.4 billion in aid to Ukraine, but both sides quickly called for more spending, and the administration agreed. The $ 10 billion request will support the training of the Ukrainian military, provide food and other humanitarian aid, and strengthen cybersecurity protection, as well as strengthen electricity supplies.
The United States is also concerned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could force China to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan.
In an attempt to prevent this, the US Air Force has developed its military muscles with the so-called “Elephant Walk” military display at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan.
Officials called the demonstration of military power a “routine wing readiness exercise” and came just two days after Biden sent several former senior defense officials to the island nation in a show of support.
The “elephant walk” or taxiing of a large number of military aircraft in a narrow formation before takeoff, saw a group of two dozen F-15 fighters and a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, totaling just over $ 1 billion.
The demonstration of military power at Cadena Air Force Base, which officials have called a “routine wing readiness exercise”, comes two days after President Biden sent several former senior defense officials to the island nation in a show of support as many wonder if the invasion of Russia in Ukraine could provoke a Chinese invasion of the country
The jet fleet is one of the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons, better known for their colloquial epithets, vampires and roosters, respectively. The helicopter belongs to the 33rd Rescue Squadron, which boasts the motto “That others can live.”
The formation also included a $ 50 million KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft assigned to the 909th Refueling Air Squadron, as well as a $ 270 million E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft assigned to the 961- air squadron for air management.
The demonstration comes after months of growing and intensified Chinese aggression against Taiwan, including nine Chinese planes that entered the nation’s airspace last Thursday, the day Russian troops invaded Ukraine.