Biden blames Putin for inflation as he vows to send more artillery to Ukraine – as it happened

Joe Biden speaks at the Portsmouth Port Authority in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

10.01pm BST

Today so far

Thanks for following along today.

• Joe Biden blamed Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine for inflation as he committed to sending more artillery to Ukraine.
• Biden took to the podium in New Hampshire to talk about the infrastructure law and its role in alleviating supply chain issues.
  
• Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters that the US will deliver 18 Howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine in the coming days. The US has also delivered “additional aircraft and the aircraft parts to help them get more more aircraft in the air”.
• White House press secretary Jen Psaki spoke out against the court ruling, by a Donald Trump-appointed judge, that struck down the federal mask mandate on public transportation.

Updated at 10.04pm BST

9.54pm BST

The Associated Press is reporting that Joe Biden is launching a $6bn effort to bail out distressed nuclear power plants.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden launches $6B effort to bail out distressed nuclear power plants, in bid to boost carbon-free electricity.

— Matthew Daly (@MatthewDalyWDC) April 19, 2022