President Joe Biden visited Delaware during the weekend amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The president and First Lady Jill Biden were photographed exiting the White House on Friday to board their Marine One helicopter.
Weekend getaway: Biden heads to Delaware as war rages in Ukraine https://t.co/dVGGR5CPYH pic.twitter.com/UGbbRloxJ7
— New York Post (@nypost) February 26, 2022
According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden attended a memorial service for a family member in his home state.
Biden spent a quarter of his first year as president in Delaware, drawing criticisms that his administration lacked transparency about his activities away from the White House, according to The Post.
After his visit, Biden authorized the release of $350 million of military assistance to Ukraine with $250 million more on the way.
The president spoke out against Russia’s military aggression toward Ukraine.
“The world will hold Russia accountable,” Biden tweeted on Wednesday, hours after Russia launched its full-scale military operation.
“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” he added, calling on international allies to band together.
Biden also described the attack by Russian military forces as “unprovoked and unjustified.”
“The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces,” the president said in a separate White House statement.
Biden has already imposed sanctions on Russia following Putin’s invasion, saying that G7 leaders are limiting “Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen to be part of the global economy,” among other sanctions.
During a press conference on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the NATO Response Force has been activated, allowing forces to be sent to wherever they are needed.
The task force will be deploying forces on land, at sea, and in the air, including thousands of troops, 120 allied ships, and over 100 jets to patrol the air space.
“NATO’s core task is to protect and defend all allies. There must be no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding,” said Stoltenberg. “We will continue to do whatever is necessary to shield the alliance from aggression.”
