Today so far
That’s it for the blog today. Here’s how the day unfolded in Washington, as Russia intensified its rocket attacks on major Ukrainian cities:
- Joe Biden said that Americans should not be concerned about potential nuclear war, despite Russia’s escalated aggression against Ukraine. Biden’s comments came one day after Vladimir Putin directed Russian military leaders to transfer the country’s nuclear weapons to a “special mode of combat duty”. “We are assessing President Putin’s directive, and at this time we soon see no reason to change our own alert levels,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
- The US is moving to expel 12 members of the Russian mission to the United Nations from the country. The Biden administration accused the 12 Russian officials of having “abused their privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security”.
- Biden is set to deliver his first State of the Union speech tomorrow night, as the US president faces a number of crises at home and abroad. While the Russian military continues to launch devastating rocket strikes in Ukraine, the president’s approval rating is hitting new lows as Americans complain of rising prices and international instability.
- Despite Russia’s escalating attacks, the White House is adamant that it will not send US troops into Ukraine. Psaki said that Biden is not considering implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine because that would be viewed as an “escalatory” measure by Putin. “We are not going to have a military war with Russia with US troops, and he thinks it’s vitally important and first and foremost important to be direct with the public about that,” Psaki told MSNBC.
- The fencing around the US Capitol has been reinstalled ahead of Biden’s speech tomorrow. The fencing, which remained around the Capitol for months after the January 6 insurrection, was deemed necessary as officials brace for potential demonstrations in DC in response to the State of the Union.
For more updates on the situation in Ukraine, make sure to follow the Guardian’s other live blog, which is still going:
In his State of the Union speech, Joe Biden will also tout the bipartisan infrastructure law. It was unclear if he would mention his sweeping Build Back Better agenda, which is stalled (perhaps permanently) in the Senate.
“It’s not about the name of the bill,” a White House official said on the call. “It’s about the ideas. It’s about lowering costs for families. And I think you can expect to hear the president talk about those ideas.”
The president would also stress that there was “more work to do” to create an economy centered on “resilience, security and sustainability.”
Asked if Biden will speak explicitly about “inflation” – increasingly the top priority for voters – the officials would say only that he will address “price increases” that could become entrenched.
Additionally, Biden will outline a four-point plan that, according to officials, includes proposals to make more products in America, reduce the cost of everyday expenses, promote fair competition and eliminate barriers to good-paying jobs.
He will reaffirm his support for the Pro Act, which expands protections for workers and makes it easier for employees to organize.
Biden to tout economic progress in State of the Union, despite inflation concerns
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Joe Biden will focus a significant portion of his remarks articulating his economic vision to a nation rattled by rising inflation and wary of his leadership.
“He’ll talk about the progress that we’ve made in the last year in the face of deep challenges, and he’ll talk about his optimism for the future,” a senior White House official told reporters on Monday, previewing the aspects of his speech focused on the economy.
In his address, Biden will attempt to strike a delicate balance between touting his economic accomplishments without appearing to dismiss Americans’ deep uncertainty about their prospects after two years of the pandemic.
A senior White House official said Biden would “reflect on one of the strongest labor market recoveries in American history,” citing the record-low unemployment and job gains of 6.6m.
He will ascribe much of the administration’s economic success to the passage of his American Rescue Plan, a massive economic stimulus bill passed by Democrats over unified Republican opposition.
Donald Trump has appealed a judge’s decision requiring he, Donald Jr and Ivanka answer questions under oath in New York state’s civil investigation into his business practices – a widely expected move that’s likely to prolong the fight over his testimony by months.
Lawyers for Trump and his two eldest children filed papers today with the appellate division of the state’s trial court, seeking to overturn Manhattan judge Arthur Engoron’s February 17 ruling. They argue ordering the Trumps to testify violates their constitutional rights because their answers could be used in a parallel criminal investigation, the Associated Press writes.
AP further reports:
In an eight-page ruling, Engoron set a March 10 deadline for Trump and his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., to sit for depositions. Lawyers for the Trumps asked the appellate court for a stay to spare them from questioning while it considers the matter.
The court did not set a date for arguments. It typically issues decisions several months after that, but could be inclined to rule on an expedited basis given the urgency of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation and the Trumps’ desire to swiftly overturn Engoron’s ruling.
A message seeking comment was left with James’ office. In a statement on Friday, as lawyers for the Trumps were preparing their appeal, the attorney general signaled she was ready for a long fight to get them to testify.
“Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump were ordered by the court to comply with our lawful investigation into Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings,” James said in the statement.
“While they have the right to seek a delay, they cannot deter us from following the facts and the law wherever they may lead. Make no mistake: My office will continue to pursue this case without favor or favor because no one is above the law.”
Trump did not immediately comment on the appeal. In a statement following Engoron’s decision, he called the ruling “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history.”
James, a Democrat, has said her investigation has uncovered evidence Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, used “fraudulent or misleading” valuations of assets like golf courses and skyscrapers to get loans and tax benefits.
At a hearing prior to Engoron’s decision, Trump’s lawyers argued that having him sit for a civil deposition is an improper attempt to get around a state law barring prosecutors from calling someone to testify before a criminal grand jury without giving them immunity.
A lawyer for the attorney general’s office told Engoron that it wasn’t unusual to have civil and criminal investigations proceeding at the same time, and Engoron rejected a request from lawyers for the Trumps to pause the civil probe until the criminal matter is over.
Last summer, spurred by evidence uncovered in James’ civil investigation, the Manhattan district attorney’s office charged Weisselberg and the Trump Organization with tax fraud, alleging he collected more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation.
Weisselberg and the company have pleaded not guilty. The future of the criminal probe was thrown into question last week when the two prosecutors leading it abruptly quit.
Updated
Joe Biden held a call earlier today with several European leaders to discuss “Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine”, as the White House said in its readout of the conversation.
“The leaders recognized the bravery of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression and discussed their continued support to Ukraine, including security, economic, and humanitarian assistance,” the White House said.
I spoke today with Allies and partners to discuss Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine. We are continuing our support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and affirmed our readiness to keep imposing severe costs on Russia if they do not de-escalate. pic.twitter.com/mpQKYOvmUj
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 28, 2022
Biden and the European leaders also discussed “their coordinated efforts to impose severe costs and consequences to hold Russia accountable while working to maintain global economic stability, including with regard to energy prices”, the White House noted.
The other participants of the call were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Updated
US moves to expel 12 members of Russian UN mission for alleged 'espionage activities'
The White House press secretary was asked to respond to this afternoon’s announcement that the US is moving to expel 12 members of Russia’s mission to the United Nations for alleged “espionage activities”.
A spokesperson for the US ambassador to the UN confirmed the planned expulsion of the 12 Russian officials just as Jen Psaki’s briefing was getting underway:
The U.S. has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the U.S. by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.
— Olivia Dalton (@USUNSpox) February 28, 2022
Psaki said that the expulsion had been “in the works for several months”, accusing the Russian officials of having “abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security”.
The Russian ambassador to the UN attacked the expulsion of the 12 officials as a hostile act by the US, and she rejected the White House’s justification for the move.
Asked to respond to those comments, Psaki replied, “I think the hostile act is committing espionage activities on our own soil.”
Updated
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked whether Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine may push some Nato members to direct more of their GDP toward defense spending.
“Well, President Putin has been one of the greatest unifiers of Nato in modern history. So I guess that is one thing we can thank him for,” Psaki said.
.@PressSec: "President Putin has been one of the greatest unifiers of NATO in modern history." pic.twitter.com/M8exQPe0Vs
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 28, 2022
The press secretary noted that several Nato members have taken historically significant steps to support Ukraine, as Russia escalates its rocket attacks on the country.
For example, Germany has historically avoided sending weapons to conflict zones, but Berlin is now doing so for Ukraine because of the severity of the crisis, Psaki noted.
“The point is, what you’re looking at here is a unified Europe, a unified west, a unified Nato who are standing up to the aggression and the invasion led by President Putin.”
Updated
US is not changing nuclear alert levels, White House says
The US is not changing its alert levels in response to Vladimir Putin’s directive to transfer Russia’s nuclear weapons to a “special mode of combat duty”, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
During her daily briefing, Psaki condemned Putin’s “dangerous” rhetoric, saying that such tactics raise “the risk of miscalculation” and should be avoided.
“We are assessing President Putin’s directive, and at this time we soon see no reason to change our own alert levels,” Psaki told reporters.
“But it’s also important to remember that, even over the course of the last several months and years, when we have had significant disagreements with Russia over a range of issues, Russia and the United States have long agreed that nuclear use would have devastating consequences.”
Updated
At this afternoon’s White House event celebrating Black History Month, First Lady Jill Biden was seen wearing a face mask with a sunflower embroidered on it.
The White House said that the first lady chose to wear the mask because the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.
Dr Biden wanted to express her support for the Ukrainian people as they fight to protect their country against Russian aggression, the White House told the press pool.
Updated
Americans should not be concerned about potential nuclear war, Biden says
Joe Biden did actually take one question from a reporter after concluding his prepared remarks celebrating Black History Month.
A reporter shouted at Biden to ask whether Americans should be concerned about the threat of nuclear war, as Russia escalates its rocket strikes on major Ukrainian cities.
“No,” Biden responded.
Q: "Should Americans be worried about nuclear war?"
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 28, 2022
President Biden: "No." pic.twitter.com/ZRg15av1l3
Biden’s comments come one day after Vladimir Putin directed Russian military leaders to transfer the country’s nuclear weapons to a “special mode of combat duty”.
The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh reports on how to interpret Putin’s somewhat confusing order to his military leaders:
Pavel Podvig, widely considered a leading expert on Russian nuclear forces, tweeted that that Putin’s order ‘most likely’ meant ‘the nuclear command and control system received what is known as a preliminary command’. This would turn the system on, in effect, allowing ‘a launch order’ to ‘go through if issued’. ...
Matthew Harries, a nuclear specialist with the Rusi thinktank, said the statements were a warning of a different sort. It was, in the first instance, simple intimidation – ‘we can hurt you, and fighting us is dangerous’ – and a reminder to the west, which is increasingly arming the Ukrainians, not to go too far. ‘It could be Russia is planning a brutal escalation in Ukraine and this is a ‘keep out’ warning to the west,’ he said.
Joe Biden pledged that his administration would “closely investigate the cowardly, un-American bomb threats” made against historically Black colleges and universities in recent weeks.
Speaking at an event to celebrate Black History Month, Biden also reiterated his call for Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, both of which have stalled in the Senate because of Republican filibustering.
“I know progress can be slow and frustrating, but I also know it’s possible if we work together, we keep the faith,” Biden said.
“I really mean it. I am more optimistic about our chances to bring equity to this country than we ever had before now.”
Biden then concluded his remarks and started making his way out of the East Room. He stopped to talk to some of the event’s attendees, but he did not appear to take any questions from reporters.
Joe Biden is now speaking at the White House event to celebrate Black History Month, which concludes today.
“Black History Month is more than a celebration,” Biden said. “It’s a powerful, powerful reminder that Black history is American history. Black culture is American culture. Black stories are essentially an ongoing story of America.”
Echoing Kamala Harris’ remarks, Biden also celebrated the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the supreme court, and he praised the judge as “eminently qualified” to join the nation’s highest court.
Biden said Jackson was one of many qualified Black women who he considered for the nomination, and he noted that he has nominated more Black women to the federal bench than any other president in US history.
In her remarks at the Black History Month event, Kamala Harris celebrated the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the supreme court. If confirmed, Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the high court.
Harris praised Jackson’s “brilliant mind and a record of excellence,” calling on the Senate to give the judge a “swift confirmation” to the supreme court.
“Elections matter. And when folks vote, they order what they want. And in this case, they got what they asked for,” Harris said.
The vice-president took a moment to express gratitude to the Black leaders who came before her, including Thurgood Marshall, who was the first Black supreme court justice. Marshall’s portrait now hangs in the office of the vice-president, Harris noted.
“So as we gather here today, and as we prepare to confirm another historic first to our nation’s highest court, let us always remember: we stand on the shoulders of giants,” Harris said.
White House holds event to celebrate Black History Month
The White House event to celebrate Black History Month, which concludes today, is now underway, and Vice-President Kamala Harris is delivering remarks.
Harris, who is the first Black woman to serve as vice-president, described Black history as “the history of resistance and resilience in America”.
“And we are clear: Black history is American history,” Harris said. “It is living, breathing history, history we create every day.”
The vice-president also connected the celebration of Black history to Ukrainians’ fight to preserve their democracy in the face of escalating Russian aggression.
“We are gathered then at a critical moment in the history of our nation and our world -- a moment in which our democratic principles have come under threat,” Harris said.
“Today, the eyes of the world are on Ukraine and the brave people who are fighting to protect their country and their democracy, and their bravery is a reminder -- a most recent reminder -- that justice, equality and freedom must never be taken for granted by any of us.”
Updated
Prior to the Black History Month event, Joe Biden participated in a call with several European leaders to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, where Russian forces are escalating their rocket strikes on major cities.
The call lasted for about an hour and a half, and it ended shortly before 1pm ET, a White House official told the press pool.
The other participants of the call were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Joe Biden will soon hold an event at the White House to commemorate Black History Month, which concludes today.
The event will be attended by a number of senior Biden administration officials who are Black, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge.
An AP reporter also spotted former Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson in the audience:
Spotted at White House Black History Month event: the Rev. Jesse Jackson pic.twitter.com/O6jzUudrWS
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) February 28, 2022
Another Democrat in the House has announced his retirement at the midterm elections in November, this time Ted Deutch of Florida, the chair of the ethics committee.
He will become chief executive of the American Jewish Committee.
Deutch said: “We have also seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in our own country and abroad, and I have been at the forefront of the congressional response as the founding co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.”
The number of Democrats announcing that they are getting out chimes with predictions of a Republican House takeover in November. Ballotpedia lists 22 House Democrats who have said they will retire, and six Republicans. All told, 31 House Democrats will not run, as others aim for different offices.
Deutch, 55, was elected in southern Florida in 2010 and changed districts in 2017. He represented Broward and Palm Beach counties. In his statement, he mentioned the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Broward county on 14 February 2018, in which 17 students and teachers were killed.
Palm Beach County is home to Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Florida home. Unsurprisingly, Deutch is not a fan of the former president.
A House Republican earned a sick burn from an unlikely source – the dictionary – on Sunday, for tweeting a cryptic complaint about “millennial leftists” under a “woke sky”.
The full message tweeted by Clay Higgins of Louisiana read: “You millennial leftists who never lived one day under nuclear threat can now reflect upon your woke sky. You made quite a non-binary fuss to save the world from intercontinental ballistic tweets.”
In response, amid general confusion and hilarity, dictionary.com said: “We’re not entirely sure what this tweet is supposed to mean, and we’re literally the dictionary.”
Other responses included “I don’t understand what this means”, from the writer Molly Jong-Fast; “Huh?”, from John Sipher, a former CIA agent; and “Not a single millennial – myself included – understands what this means”, from the Guardian’s own Hugo Lowell.
As of Monday lunchtime, Higgins had not followed up on his tweet, either to offer an explanation or to deepen the mystery.
Interestingly, to this writer at least, dictionary.com does not offer a definition for “sick burn”. Macmillan, however, does: “A clever and cutting remark that makes someone look silly or feel embarrassed”.
The California senator Dianne Feinstein has announced the death of her husband, Richard Blum. He was 86.
“My heart is broken today,” the Democrat said in a statement, adding: “We have a hole in our hearts that will never be filled.”
She added: “My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. I am going to miss him terribly.”
Feinstein, 88, had missed votes recently to be with her husband.
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House who represents a district in San Francisco, called Blum a “dear friend, a devoted philanthropist and a proud San Franciscan”.
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden is set to deliver his first State of the Union speech tomorrow night, as the US president faces a number of crises at home and abroad. The Russian military is escalating its rocket attacks on Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting dozens of civilian casualties in major cities like Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating is hitting new lows as Americans complain of rising prices and international instability.
- Despite Russia’s escalating attacks, the White House is adamant that it will not send US troops into Ukraine. Press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden is not considering implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine because that would be viewed as an “escalatory” measure by Vladimir Putin. “We are not going to have a military war with Russia with US troops, and he thinks it’s vitally important and first and foremost important to be direct with the public about that,” Psaki told MSNBC.
- The fencing around the US Capitol has been reinstalled ahead of Biden’s speech tomorrow. The fencing, which remained around the Capitol for months after the January 6 insurrection, was deemed necessary as officials brace for potential demonstrations in DC in response to the State of the Union.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
'We are not going to have a military war with Russia with US troops,' Psaki says
Joe Biden is not considering implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine as Russia escalates its rocket attacks on major cities, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
“What that would require is implementation by the US military. It would essentially mean the US military would be shooting down planes, Russian planes,” Psaki told MSNBC today.
“That is definitely escalatory. That would potentially put us into a place where we’re in a military conflict with Russia. That is not something the president wants to do.”
"We are not going to have a military war with Russia with U.S. troops," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says. pic.twitter.com/7oZlvPGv7w
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 28, 2022
Asked whether the White House considers it inevitable that Vladimir Putin will seize control of Kyiv, Psaki replied, “Our assessment has not changed that Russia, President Putin, the military has every intention of taking Kyiv, and they’re continuing to make progress.”
NBC News reporter Kristen Welker then pressed Psaki on whether Biden had made a tactical error by ruling out US military action against Russia.
“He is not sending US forces -- men and women who fight for our military -- into Ukraine to fight a war with Russia,” Psaki said.
“We are not going to have a military war with Russia with US troops, and he thinks it’s vitally important and first and foremost important to be direct with the public about that.”
The US Capitol’s attending physician, Dr Brian Monahan, has said that masks would be optional for Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech tomorrow.
Explaining the new protocols in a memo yesterday, Monahan cited the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was released Friday.
According to the CDC’s guidance, more than 70% of Americans are living in countries where coronavirus is posing a low or medium threat to hospitals, clearing the way for looser restrictions.
“The Washington DC region is now in the ‘green level’ or low level in this new CDC schema,” Monahan said in his memo, per CNN.
The White House will no longer require masks for fully vaccinated employees, according to an internal memo obtained by NBC News.
The memo specifies that fully vaccinated staffers will no longer be required to wear masks on campus starting tomorrow, although they will still need to mask up in places where they are mandated, such as public transit.
NEW: WH is updating its own COVID protocols, ending mask requirement for fully-vaccinated employees starting Tuesday, per internal email obtained by @nbcnews
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) February 28, 2022
The news comes one day before Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Union speech at the US Capitol. The Office of the Attending Physician announced yesterday that masks would be optional for Biden’s speech.
The number of coronavirus cases in the US has been declining in recent weeks, as the country passed the peak of its Omicron surge:
Updated
The Republican governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, has come under fire for saying he needs the support of a far-right state senator who told a white nationalist event in Florida she fantasises about building gallows on which to hang her enemies.
State progressive groups said Ducey should “stop catering to hate”.
The state senator, Wendy Rogers, spoke on Friday at the America First Political Action Conference, or AFPAC, a conference organised by the activist Nick Fuentes. Two Republican members of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona, also spoke at the event, generating condemnation and calls for censure.
Mitt Romney, the Utah senator, called Greene and Gosar “morons”. Romney’s niece, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, said: “White supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican party.”
As the Arizona Republic reported, Rogers told AFPAC “we need to build more gallows” with which to “make an example of … traitors who have betrayed our country”.
She also told the audience they were “patriots” and said Fuentes was “the most persecuted man in America”.
“Now they de-platform and debunk people like Nick Fuentes and even President Trump,” she said. “This is like the USSR, but worse.”
On Thursday, Ducey told reporters he needed working majorities to achieve his political aims, which meant even an extremist like Rogers was “still better than her [Democratic] opponent, Felicia French”.
Two progressive groups, Advancing Arizona and Progress Now Arizona, condemned the remark.
“Governor Doug Ducey must stand with the people he swore an oath to represent and stop catering to the hate that he feels is necessary to advancing his own agenda,” they said.
A spokesman for Ducey told the Arizona Republic the governor was “not about hate. That should be pretty clear. And for people who are suggesting otherwise, they’re just attempting to score political points”.
Judge Jackson to meet with senators on Wednesday
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will meet with Senate leaders on Wednesday, days after Joe Biden announced he was nominating her to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the supreme court.
Jackson will hold in-person meetings on Wednesday with Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, minority leader Mitch McConnell, judiciary committee chairman Dick Durbin and judiciary committee ranking members Chuck Grassley.
Deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates confirmed the judge’s plans via Twitter:
NEW: Judge Jackson will meet with @SenatorDurbin, @ChuckGrassley, @SenSchumer, and @LeaderMcConnell this Wednesday, in-person. https://t.co/9bkBnrqhlo
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) February 28, 2022
Politico reports:
Jackson will be joined on Wednesday by her ‘sherpa’ for the confirmation process, former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.). Schumer has said he hopes to have Jackson confirmed by the Senate’s Easter break.
Bates noted that Jackson was quickly praised by legal experts, former House Speaker (and distant relative) Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the Fraternal Order of Police, and retired D.C. Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith, who was appointed by President George W. Bush.
Still, few Senate Republicans are expected to vote for Jackson but Biden and his White House staff have repeatedly stressed that they are pushing for bipartisan support for the current federal circuit court judge.
Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said it was crucial for the world to stand firm against Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine to protect “the values of open democracy [and] freedom”.
“We’ve got to stand up to this because if he’d been successful in Ukraine, he will go for another bite,” Warner told MSNBC. “Next time it’ll be Moldova. Next time it may be the Baltic nations or Poland.”
"This really has been a uniform world reaction against Putin's aggression," Sen. Warner tells @jdbalart on widening Western sanctions and actions against Russia. pic.twitter.com/fmXErhjUwU
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 28, 2022
Warner noted that the US and its allies are looking for ways to give Putin “some face-saving” in order to deescalate the violence in Ukraine, while the world waits to see if any progress can be made from the peace talks in Belarus.
Warner also praised the Biden administration and European nations for working in coordination to impose devastating sanctions on the Russian economy broadly and Putin specifically.
“This really has been a uniform world reaction against Putin’s aggression,” Warner concluded.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US officials will deliver two classified briefings on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to members of the House and senators this afternoon, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The separate briefings are expected to cover the Biden administration’s next steps on sending military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as the US intelligence community assessment of the situation, the source said.
With the House returning from recess, the briefings mark the first time all lawmakers will be given a classified update on the situation in Ukraine. Briefings by national security council officials last week were unclassified.
The briefings - set to take place on Capitol Hill at 5:15pm for members of the House and at 7:15pm for senators - are also expected to drive the Biden administration’s request for Congress to provide $6.4bn in emergency funding to help Ukraine.
The funding request, which includes $2.9bn for security and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and $3.5bn for the Pentagon’s response to the Ukraine invasion, is expected to be introduced this week with bipartisan support.
Blinken will lead the briefing team that also includes the Director of National Security Avril Haines, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the chair of the joint chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, among others, the source said.
Fence reinstalled around US Capitol ahead of State of the Union
In case you missed it yesterday: the fencing around the US Capitol has been reinstalled ahead of Joe Biden’s first State of the Union Speech, which is set for tomorrow night.
The fencing, which remained around the Capitol for months after the January 6 insurrection, was put up amid concerns of demonstrations in Washington in connection to the State of the Union.
Groups of truckers are planning to drive to the DC area to protest Biden’s coronavirus-related policies, but one convoy from California is not expected to reach Washington by tomorrow.
“In light of the upcoming State of the Union Address, and the possibility of demonstrations in the next couple of weeks, we have been working closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners on a security plan to prevent any disruption to the important work of Congress,” the US Capitol Police chief, Tom Manger, said in a statement yesterday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and in conjunction with the United States Secret Service, a plan has been approved to put up the inner-perimeter fence around the Capitol building for the State of the Union Address.”
Manger also noted that the USCP has requested assistance from “outside law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard” to ensure the safety of lawmakers during Biden’s speech.
The Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert was condemned for comparing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the clearing of a truckers’ protest in Ottawa, saying: “We also have neighbors to the north who need freedom and who need to be liberated.”
A former US ambassador to Canada called the comments “reckless” and “dangerous”.
A protest in imitation of the Canadian truckers has been making its away across the US. It is expected in Washington this week.
Anthony Housefather, a Liberal member of the Canadian parliament, told Boebert that “while it’s good that you are not following the Trump line and are standing with Ukraine instead of Putin, it is sad to hear you compare free and democratic Canada to the invasion of Ukraine.
“If you would like to learn about Canada please reach out.”
Full story:
Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said Vladimir Putin is committing war crimes with rocket strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
“Brace yourselves,” Rubio said on Twitter. “The images and videos from #Kharkiv of the war crimes committed by #Putin will shock & outrage the world.”
Brace yourselves
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2022
The images and videos from #Kharkiv of the war crimes committed by #Putin will shock & outrage the world
The Ukrainian interior ministry has said that dozens of people were killed and hundreds more were injured in Kharkiv this morning, after Russian forces launched a series of rocket strikes on the city.
“Kharkiv has just been massively fired upon by grads (rockets),” Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said on Facebook. “Dozens of dead and hundreds of wounded.”
Follow the latest updates from Ukraine on the Guardian’s other live blog:
Sanctions-hit Russian rouble crashes
The Guardian’s Martin Farrer, Andrew Roth and Julian Borger report:
The Russian rouble crashed more than 40% after trading began on Monday in the wake of unprecedented international sanctions against the country’s financial system over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The news came as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the British prime minister that the next 24 hours would be “crucial” for his country and amid reports that a column of Russian tanks was heading for the capital.
With restrictions in force limiting how much the Russian central bank can do to prop up the currency, the rouble plunged 41.5% to a record low when the markets opened, sinking to as low as 119 per dollar from 83.7 at its close on Friday. It recovered a little ground later on Monday to stand at 107 to the dollar, a fall of 28%.
Analysts at Rabobank in Singapore said that Monday could see a “complete collapse in the rouble” after the asset freeze on the Central Bank of Russia means it cannot sell foreign currency reserves to support the rouble.
Russia’s central bank more than doubled interest rates to 20%, and banned foreigners from selling local securities, in a bid to protect its currency and economy.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
Joe Biden will use his State of the Union speech to describe his efforts to “build a global coalition” to push back against Russian aggression in Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said.
In an interview with ABC News yesterday, Psaki was asked how Biden would handle his first State of the Union speech, which comes as his approval rating hits new lows and civilian casualties rise in Ukraine.
"Leaders lead during crises. That's exactly what Pres. Biden is doing. He'll speak to that, but he’s also going to speak about his optimism about what's ahead and what we all have to look forward to," @PressSec says before Biden's State of the Union. https://t.co/QZHY89nstP pic.twitter.com/3RcNcuGmb1
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 28, 2022
“If you look back when President [Barack] Obama gave his first State of the Union, it was during the worst financial crisis in a generation,” Psaki said. “When President [George W] Bush gave his first State of the Union, it was shortly after 9/11.”
The White House spokesperson said Biden’s remarks would reflect “his optimism and his belief in the resilience of the American people” in this time of international crisis.
“Leaders lead during crises. That’s exactly what President Biden is doing,” Psaki said. “He’ll speak to that, but he’s also going to speak about his optimism about what’s ahead and what we all have to look forward to.”
Biden faces crises at home and abroad as State of the Union looms
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Joe Biden is dealing with a number of crises, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to rising prices in the US, that he will need to address in his State of the Union speech tomorrow.
Biden’s first official State of the Union comes as his approval rating has dropped to a disappointing 40.4%, according to FiveThirtyEight’s average of recent polls.
The entire world is tense over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has already resulted in at least 100 civilian deaths, and Kyiv is demanding a ceasefire as Russia continues to launch airstrikes on major cities.
Meanwhile, Biden has warned that the Ukraine crisis and the ensuing sanctions on Russia could drive up gas prices, which are already high. The US is experiencing the highest rate of inflation in 40 years, resulting in sticker shock for many Americans in the grocery store and at the gas pump.
The US president will have to address all of these issues when he speaks to the American people tomorrow, and there are no easy answers to any of these crises.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
