WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is expanding efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. It has agreed to accept up to 100,000 people escaping from the war and to increase support for Eastern European nations that have taken in most of the people fleeing Russian forces. It’s a modest number relative to the need, with an estimated 3.5 million refugees and millions more displaced within Ukraine. It’s also modest by historical standards, far less than the number who came from Southeast Asia decades ago.
A look at the situation:
WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED?
While in Brussels to meet with European allies, President Joe Biden said the United States would admit up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to countries affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The financial support is important because most of the approximately 3.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine are in neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova, and Romania and are posing a substantial burden.
“This is not something that Poland or Romania or Germany should carry on their own,” said Biden, who said he hopes to meet with refugees on his European trip. “This is an international responsibility.”
The White House has said for weeks that the U.S. would welcome Ukrainian refugees at some point, so the announcement wasn't a surprise. Officials have said, and continue to maintain, that most of the refugees want to remain in Europe because they have family there and can more easily return home once it's safe.
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WHO IS COMING, WHEN AND WHERE WILL THEY GO?
Among the first Ukrainians refugee coming to the U.S. will be those who have family already in the United States, Biden said at a news conference.
U.S. refugee efforts will also focus on helping refugees who are considered...
