The US government says it will allocate $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine while also giving assurances that it would welcome up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from the country under a new plan announced by the White House on Thursday.
The move comes a month after Russia launched a military attack on its fellow former Soviet state.
“The United States is proud to be the largest single donor of humanitarian, democracy, and human rights assistance to Ukraine,” the statement read.
In addition to assisting Ukrainians, the Biden administration said it is “supporting the efforts of Ukraine’s neighbors and the European Union to welcome and host millions of refugees,” adding that Americans will “do our part” to welcome people leaving the country.
The aid money will be spent on providing food, shelter, clean water, and medical supplies. In order to facilitate the assistance, Washington has deployed a humanitarian response team consisting of 25 people, who will work in the region in close coordination with the United Nations, NGOs, and the government in Kiev.
Additionally, Washington will invest over $320 million in "democracy" and "human rights" funding in Ukraine and neighboring countries, the White House outlined.
“We remain committed to defending and strengthening democratic governance, human rights, and the fight against corruption in Ukraine and its neighbors, as together we reject autocracy and aggression,” the statement reads.
The focus of the American Refugee Admissions Program will be those Ukrainians who already have relatives living in the United States. But to help those unable to move to the US, the Biden Administration said it will keep assisting Ukraine’s neighbors in Europe by partnering with governments and humanitarian organizations working on solving the refugee crisis.
According to the UN, over 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the armed conflict. Russia has taken in more than 270,000 refugees, while also providing humanitarian assistance to the regions affected by the war.
Russia began its military offensive in Ukraine on February 24 following a seven-year-long standoff over the implementation of Minsk agreements and the Kremlin’s decision to recognize the independence of breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and pledged to protect their sovereignty.
Moscow claimed its military operation sought to achieve Ukraine’s full “demilitarization” and “denazification”. Kiev and Western countries have accused Russia of unprovoked premeditated aggression, hitting Moscow with unprecedented sanctions.