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Biden promises Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons

President Joe Biden attends a G7 leaders meeting during a NATO summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on Thursday.
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President Joe Biden attends a G7 leaders meeting during a NATO summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on Thursday.

Updated March 24, 2022 at 1:59 PM ET

President Biden promised Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons against Ukraine.

"It would trigger a response in-kind," Biden told a reporters. "Whether or not you're asking whether NATO would cross, we'd make that decision at the time."

Biden is in Brussels meeting with NATO allies for emergency talks as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth week.

At a press conference at NATO headquarters, he declared that more weapons from the West were flowing into Ukraine as leaders discussed how they could best support the Ukrainian people.

Biden said the United States was committing $1 billion for Ukrainian assistance and added that United States would take in up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have fled their country.

Biden also announced new sanctions to punish Russian for its invasion of Ukraine, including more than 300 members of the Russian Duma and more than 40 Russian defense companies.

"Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into Ukraine," Biden said.

Biden 's mission ahead of Thursday's meeting was "to ensure we stay united, to cement our collective resolve, to send a powerful message that we are prepared and committed to this for as long as it takes," said his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.

Later Thursday, Biden will hold a press conference to talk about new support for Ukraine and refugees — and new measures aimed at trying to hold Russia to account for the invasion.

Ahead of the press conference, administration officials told reporters the U.S. plans to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and other displaced people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, and will provide $1 billion in new funding for humanitarian aid for Ukrainians and refugees in neighboring countries.

The Biden administration is also planning new sanctions on Russia, including on members of the Duma and defense companies, is partnering with the G-7 and EU on a new initiative to prevent China or other countries from helping Russian banks do business abroad and will crack down on sales of Russian gold.

From Brussels, Biden heads to Warsaw on Friday to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Franco Ordoñez is a White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk. Before he came to NPR in 2019, Ordoñez covered the White House for McClatchy. He has also written about diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and immigration, and has been a correspondent in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Haiti.