From missiles worth $350m to ban on Russian banks: How US responded to Ukraine crisis
US President Joe Biden approved military assistance worth $350 million to war-ravaged Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. As soon as Pentagon gave a go-ahead on the order, tons of military hardware was shipped to Ukraine overnight on an urgent basis. Pentagon official John Kirby confirmed on Saturday, February 26, that the famous Javelin anti-tank missiles were also among the military equipment sent to Ukraine.
Both Biden and European Union (EU) are resorting to the "financial nuclear option" and removing Russian banks from the SWIFT network. At the same time, the US and its allies are imposing restrictions on the Russian Central Bank in a bid to isolate and handicap the country economically. Meanwhile, pubs and liquor stores across the US are enacting a strict ban on Russian vodka in solidarity with Ukraine. Liquor stores in Canada have also pulled Russian vodka from the shelves and are offering premium Ukrainian vodka instead.