US to take in up to 100,000 Ukraine war refugees: White House

The White House on Thursday announced that United States will take in up to 100,000 Ukraine war refugees. This will be in addition to the extra $1 billion in humanitarian aid Washington DC has decided to provide.

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“The United States is announcing plans to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s aggression through the full range of legal pathways, including the US Refugee Admissions Program,” White House said in a statement released.

US President Joe Biden is attending a NATO summit in Brussels focused on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

“This funding will provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance. We are also announcing an additional $320 million in democracy and human rights funding to Ukraine and its neighbors,” the release further read. 

Among the first Ukrainians refugee coming to the US will be those who have family already in the United States, senior Biden administration officials said in a conference call with reporters.

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The US, as per the official, is also focused on helping refugees from vulnerable groups like LGBTQ, hose with medical needs as well as journalists and dissidents. 

The officials said further details of the refugee effort will be released later but they don’t expect to raise the overall cap of 125,000 refugees, from around the world, for budget year 2022 that the administration set last year in consultation with Congress.

That’s because the 100,000 Ukrainians can come in through other admission programs such as humanitarian parole, which was used to bring in thousands of Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal in August.

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Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the military alliance is stepping up its defenses against chemical and nuclear weapons as concern mounts that Russia might use such weapons in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg says that NATO leaders agreed at their summit Thursday to send equipment to Ukraine to help protect it against a chemical weapons attack.

“This could include detection equipment, protection, and medical support, as well as training for decontamination and crisis management,” he told reporters after meeting in Brussels.