Kamala Harris news - VP meets Trudeau, refugees in Poland as White House says Russian economy ‘crushed’
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Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Poland and Romania as part of the United States’ response to Russia’s assault on Ukraine, and part of Ms Harris’s increasingly visible foreign policy role in the Biden administration.
Ms Harris has emerged as a international emissary for President Joe Biden having recently met with multiple heads of state and attended the Munich Security Conference.
On Thursday she met with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and at a press conference after the meeting called for an international war crimes investigation into Russia’s bombing of civilians in Ukraine.
Ms Harris unveiled more financial support for Ukrainian refugees and met with a group, but evaded a question on civilians fleeing the conflict coming to America.
She also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is visiting Warsaw.
Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, President Biden is trying to balance the international situation with pressures on the domestic front. Gas prices are at record highs and inflation has soared 7.9 per cent over the past year — the biggest spike since 1982.
Responding to questions regarding the response to the invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki pointed to historically-tough sanctions, declaring: “We have basically crushed the Russian economy.”
The president also met with the President Ivan Duque of Colombia, designating the country as a major non-Nato ally of the US.
Here are the developments that unfolded throughout 10 March 2022.
Diplomat-in-chief Kamala Harris: Why the Vice President is leading the charge on the Ukraine crisis
Kamala Harris calls for international war crimes probe of Russia’s bombing of civilians in Ukraine
Kamala Harris and Polish President Duda deny rift over Ukraine fighter jet saga: ‘That situation is extremely complicated’
House approves ban on Russian oil to US, bolstering Biden
Psaki says report on rebuffed calls from Gulf leaders ‘inaccurate'
A federal gas tax holiday?
Ms Psaki says nothing is off the table in relation to a federal gas tax holiday called for by Democratic governors given the spike in prices, but the current focus is increasing the global supply of gas.
Here’s our reporting on the call for a pause in the gas tax.
White House under pressure to support federal gas tax holiday as prices skyrocket
Average price per gallon surges past $4 as DC bans imports of Russian oil
Republican ridiculed for supporting Ukraine ‘no fly zone’ but not knowing what it means
A Republican congresswoman has been ridiculed online for supporting a no-fly zone above Ukraine even though she allegedly does not “know what it will mean”.
Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents Florida’s 27th congressional district, told reporters she “absolutely” supported Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls for a no-fly zone when asked on Wednesday.
“Absolutely, I support everything that has to do with punishing Vladimir Putin and helping the Ukrainians,” Ms Salazar said when asked whether or not she supported a no fly zone in Ukraine while adding, “I don’t know what it will mean but freedom is not free”.
Gino Spocchia reports.
Florida Republican ridiculed for Ukraine ‘no fly zone’ comments
Maria Elvira Salazar sits on the House committee on foreign affairs
Psaki: ‘We have basically crushed the Russian economy'
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave a blunt response when asked about the US response to Russia to date.
Madison Cawthorn calls Zelensky a ‘thug’ and Ukrainian government ‘woke’ and ‘evil’
A video has emerged of North Carolina Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” and his government “evil”.
“Remember that Zelensky is a thug,” Mr Cawthorn told supporters, a video obtained by WRAL shows. “Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”
While it remains unclear where the video was filmed, Karl Rove, who served as President George W Bush’s deputy chief of staff, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Mr Cawthorn made the comments over the weekend during an event in Asheville. Mr Rove said he believed that the comments “didn’t reflect Republican opinion”.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Madison Cawthorn calls Zelensky a ‘thug’ and Ukrainian government ‘woke’ and ‘evil’
‘Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies,’ North Carolina Republican says
Harris and Trudeau meet in Warsaw
Per the pool report:
Ms Harris, seated to the left of Mr Trudeau, was flanked by her national security advisor, chief of staff and other top officials.
She said both nations were there to “reaffirm the strength of the Nato alliance” and said the two would “discuss what we in particular can do to strengthen our assistance, security assistance, humanitarian assistance” to the Ukrainian people.
“I know we stand in solidarity in terms of our outrage against this war,” Ms Harris added.
Mr Trudeau commended the Biden administration for “the kind of alignment, the kind of strength and unity we’ve shown”.
“I think it’s really made a difference,” he added.
“First of all, Vladimir Putin totally underestimated the strength and resolve of the Ukrainian people. But he also underestimated the strength and resolve of democracy to stand up in support of Ukraine,” he continued.
“From crippling sanctions against Putin and his top supporters to unprecedented humanitarian aide to security and military support for Ukrainians fighting not just for Ukraine but for all of us, we stand shoulder to shoulder.”
The two leaders ignored shouted questions over whether Russia’s use of a chemical weapon would be a red line or what specific actions the United States would take to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.
Garland: DoJ won’t avoid ‘controversial’ Jan 6 cases
US Attorney General Merrick Garland gave some of his most wide-ranging comments yet about the January 6 investigation in an interview with NPR, telling the news organisation that his agency would not shy away from tough prosecutions based on political decisions.
Mr Garland is seen as a lionising figure among some liberals in the US after he was appointed to the Justice Department following his unsuccessful nomination to the Supreme Court in the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency. He now heads up one of the largest investigations in the agency’s history that has already led to hundreds of prosecutions and shows no sign of slowing down.
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.
Garland says Justice Department won’t avoid ‘controversial’ Jan 6 cases
Comments come as Justice Department has pursued ‘seditious conspiracy’ charges against ringleaders
Biden declares Colombia ‘major, major non-Nato ally’
In a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque, President Joe Biden declared Colombia a major non-Nato ally.
Or, as the president called them, “A major, major non-Nato ally.”
Backlash against ‘Putin Republicans’ after Cawthorn comments
North Carolina Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn has been slammed after a video emerged of him calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” and his government “evil”.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
‘Putin Republicans’: Madison Cawthorn suffers backlash for calling Zelensky a ‘thug’
‘This is disgraceful and not how a sitting lawmaker should speak about a US ally,’ former Trump official says
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