Joe Biden assures Ukraine of support as Russia tensions rise

Bloomberg

US President Joseph Biden pledged to stand with Ukraine against Russian “aggression” in his first official phone call with his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who raised concerns of troop movement near the border.
Biden “affirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
Ukraine has asked for international support as Russian builds up troops along their shared border, raising concerns of an escalation in the seven-year conflict. Four soldiers were killed in the eastern zone on March 26, marking the deadliest day since at least the summer of 2020. The US has imposed sanctions against Russia for annexing Crimea in 2014 and supporting separatist fighters, while providing Ukraine with military equipment, including Javelin anti-tank missiles.
“President Biden assured me that Ukraine will be never left alone against Russia’s aggression,” Zelenskiy said in a video address after the call. A full cease-fire is necessary to continue “the difficult but necessary talks” with international leaders, including France, Germany and Russia, as well as the US, on resolving the conflict in a diplomatic matter, he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “Russia hasn’t threatened anyone and has never threatened anyone.” Earlier in the week, in answer to a question about deployments near the border with Ukraine, he said Russia has the right to move troops within its territory at its own discretion, and blamed Western powers for sparking tensions in the region.
The US also supports Zelenskiy’s “plan to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values that delivers justice, security, and prosperity to the people of Ukraine,” according to the White House readout.
The call followed conversations between Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministers and their US and UK counterparts about tensions in the eastern Donbas region.

Biden removes Trump sanctions on International Criminal Court
Bloomberg

President Joe Biden said he was revoking former president Donald Trump’s executive order authorising sanctions against officials who investigated US and its allies at International Criminal Court, saying the threat was not “an effective or appropriate strategy” to address
concerns with court.
Biden said in a notice to Congress that the US continued to object to the ICC asserting jurisdiction over the US or its allies absent their consent and would “vigorously protect current and former United States personnel.” But, Biden continued, “the threat and imposition of financial sanctions against the Court, its personnel, and those who assist” was not the best way to register those concerns.
Trump administration officials accused International Criminal Court prosecutors of corruption, and said Russia attempted to influence the court to investigate the actions of American troops.
As a result of the move, the US will end sanctions imposed against ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko, the Head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division of the Office of the Prosecutor, the State Department announced.

“These decisions reflect our assessment that the measures adopted were inappropriate and ineffective,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The move marks a reversal after the previous administration looked to punish the ICC in response to plans to investigate allegations of war crimes during the conflict in Afghanistan.
Trump administration officials accused ICC prosecutors of corruption, and said Russia attempted to influence the court to investigate the actions of American troops.