The legislation, which was passed by Congress with bipartisan support, deepens the U.S. commitment to Ukraine at a time of uncertainty about the war’s future. Ukraine has successfully defended Kyiv, and Russia has refocused its offensive on the country’s east, but American officials warn of the potential for a prolonged conflict.

The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and it dwarfs an earlier emergency measure that provided USD13.6 billion.

The new legislation will provide USD20 billion in military assistance, ensuring a steady stream of advanced weapons that have been used to blunt Russia’s advances. There’s also USD8 billion in general economic support, USD5 billion to address global food shortages that could result from the collapse of Ukrainian agriculture and more than USD1 billion to help refugees.

Biden signed the measure under unusual circumstances. Because he’s in the middle of a trip to Asia, a U.S. official brought a copy of the bill on a commercial flight so the president could sign it, according to a White House official.

The logistics reflect a sense of urgency around continuing U.S. support for Ukraine, but also the overlapping international challenges facing Biden. Even as he tries to reorient American foreign policy to confront China, he’s continuing to direct resources to the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

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The US has repeatedly warned of Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine and threatened to impose tough sanctions on Moscow if it goes ahead with its plans. However, Russia has denied that it plans to attack Ukraine.

“As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

Psaki said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action.

President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasn’t happened. We are always ready for diplomacy, she said.

Psaki said that Biden spoke with Macron on Sunday and the two leaders discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.

According to US estimates, Russia has amassed over 150,000 in and near Ukraine, up from about 100,000 on January 30.

We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, she said.

The development comes after Blinken in an interview to CNN said that Biden is prepared to engage with Putin in any format, at any place and time to prevent a war.

Blinken asserted that everything leading up to the actual invasion of Ukraine appears to be taking place.

“As we have described it, everything leading up to the actual invasion appears to be taking place, all of these false flag operations, all of these provocations to create justifications. All of that is already in train,” Blinken told CNN.

“We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, he said.

“President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war. I reached out to my Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov, to urge that we meet next week in Europe. The plan is still to do that, unless Russia invades in the meantime, Blinken said in response to a question.

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Biden’s comments came amid heightened tensions between Russia and the US, fuelled by fears that Moscow plans to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied that it has plans to attack Ukraine.

Giving an update to reporters from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Biden on Friday said the US is doing everything in its power to remove any reason that Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine and prevent them from moving.

Look, we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week — in the coming days. We believe that they will target Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people, Biden said.

Make no mistake: If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice. The United States and our allies are prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory from any threat to our collective security as well, he said.

Biden said that he is convinced that Russia is going to invade Ukraine.

He ruled out sending troops in to fight in Ukraine but said the US will continue to support the Ukrainian people.

Responding to a question if he thinks it is wise for the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to leave Ukraine if an invasion is as imminent as the US, Biden said, that’s a judgment for him to make and a determination as to whether or not. I’ve spoken with Zelenskyy a dozen times — maybe more, I don’t know.

Biden said that the US and its allies and partners will support the Ukrainian people. We will hold Russia accountable for its actions. The West is united and resolved. We’re ready to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it further invades Ukraine, he said.

But I say again: Russia can still choose diplomacy. It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table, he said.

Noting that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to meet on February 24, Biden said if Russia takes military action before that date, it will be clear that they have slammed the door shut on diplomacy.

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“The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy,” Trump said of the violence, which left several people dead. “To those who engage in the acts of violence and destruction: you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law: you will pay.”

The video followed a wave of resignations from his administration and calls from top congressional Democrats, former White House aides, business leaders, and even the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal for Trump’s removal from office over his role in inciting the insurrection. Members of Congress have also discussed impeachment.

Before throngs of his supporters marched on the Capitol, overwhelmed police barricades and broke into the building, Trump, in a fiery address at midday Wednesday, exhorted them to “stop the steal” and make a stand for his presidency. In egging on the mob, he repeated false claims of voter fraud even as both houses of Congress were preparing to certify Biden’s victory in the Electoral College vote.

But on Thursday Trump called for “healing and reconciliation” and said he would turn his focus to the transition, in a message that appeared designed to quell growing alarm among even his closest allies and aides.

“A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20th,” Trump said. “My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.”

The video was released late on a day of mounting demands for his immediate departure from office — even though his term ends on Jan. 20. They included calls for his resignation, a new impeachment inquiry and for Vice President Mike Pence to undertake extraordinary constitutional measures to oust him.

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“I promise you, it’ll be the single-most diverse Cabinet based on race, colour, based on gender, that’s ever existed in the United States of America,” Biden said Friday in Wilmington, Delaware, following remarks on jobs and the economy.

Black and Latino leaders have raised concerns that the Cabinet nominees Biden has revealed so far are not diverse enough, especially in the top key positions.

South Carolina US Representative Jim Clyburn, the top-ranking African American in the US House who is credited with helping Biden win his state during the Democratic primaries, said he is willing to be patient, but he is also not happy at the moment.

“I want to see where the process leads to, what it produces,” Clyburn told The Hill newspaper. “But so far, it’s not good.”

But to leaders like NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, it is not only about the diversity of the individuals, but it is more about what Biden’s administration will stand for.

“We do believe this administration will be the most diverse administration,” Johnson said in an interview with NBC News Friday. “Our concern is less about people than it is priorities.”

Biden has officially announced eight of his 23 Cabinet positions and of those 8, there are five women, including Janet Yellen, who would be the first female treasury secretary in US history. Included in those eight are two Black women, Linda Thomas-Greenfield for US ambassador to the United Nations, and Cecelia Rouse to be chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, as well as Neera Tanden, who is of Indian descent, to be Biden’s budget chief. Alejandro Mayorkas, a Latino, is Biden’s choice to be secretary of homeland security.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated US elected President Joe Biden  in their first phone conversation after Biden declared elected .

PM reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed their “shared priorities and concerns”.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Modi wrote, “Spoke to US President-elect Joe Biden on phone to congratulate him. We reiterated our firm commitment to the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed our shared priorities and concerns — Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.”

Further, PM Modi said Kamala Harris’ victory is a matter of great pride and ispiration for the Indian-American community.

“I also conveyed warm congratulations for VP-elect @KamalaHarris. Her success is a matter of great pride and inspiration for members of the vibrant Indian-American community, who are a tremendous source of strength for Indo-US relations,” the PM said in another tweet.

While, the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition team in a press release informed that the president-elect thanked the prime minister for his congratulations and expressed his desire to strengthen and expand the US.-India strategic partnership alongside the first vice president of South Asian descent Kamala Harris.

“The president-elect noted that he looks forward to working closely with the prime minister on shared global challenges, including containing COVID-19 and defending against future health crises, tackling the threat of climate change, launching the global economic recovery, strengthening democracy at home and abroad, and maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read.

The Prime Minister warmly recalled his earlier interactions with H.E. Joseph R. Biden, including during his official visits to the United States in 2014 and in 2016. H.E. Joseph R. Biden had chaired the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress that was addressed by the Prime Minister during his 2016 visit.

The leaders agreed to work closely to further advance the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, built on shared values and common interests. The leaders also discussed their priorities, including containing the Covid-19 pandemic, promoting access to affordable vaccines, tackling climate change, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.

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As a largely immigrant community, but in some cases with American roots reaching back generations, Indian-Americans know firsthand the strength and resilience that immigrants bring to the United States of America, according to a policy document issued by the Biden campaign.

“He (Biden) will immediately begin working with Congress to pass legislative immigration reform that modernizes our system, with a priority on keeping families together by providing a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants — including more than 500,000 from India,” it said.

Biden will remove the uncertainty for Dreamers by reinstating the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) programme and explore all legal options to protect their families from inhumane separation. And, he will end workplace raids and protect other sensitive locations from immigration enforcement actions, it said. Launched by the Obama administration, the DACA is an immigration policy that allows some individuals with unlawful presence in the US after being brought to the country as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the US. DACA recipients are often referred to as Dreamers. To be eligible for the programme, recipients cannot have felonies or serious misdemeanors on their records.

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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th U.S. president, unseating the incumbent with a pledge to unify and mend a nation reeling from a worsening pandemic, faltering economy and deep political divisions.

Biden’s victory came after the Associated Press, CNN and NBC showed him winning Pennsylvania and gaining more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency. Trump sought to undermine the outcome, baselessly accusing Democrats of trying to steal the election and claiming victory before the race was called.

Biden’s running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, 56, becomes the first Black and Indian-American woman to serve as vice president, a glimpse at a coming generational shift in the party.

Biden, 77, will become the oldest president-elect in U.S. history and the first to oust a sitting commander-in-chief after one term since Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Biden won 284 Electoral College votes, according to the AP, which earlier had called Arizona for the Democrat. Several other networks have yet to call Arizona, leaving Biden with 273 Electoral College votes in their counts, still plenty to claim the presidency.

But the incoming president’s goal of uniting the country will be made more difficult by Trump’s unfounded allegations of fraud and with control of the U.S. Senate up in the air, awaiting two runoffs in Georgia in January.

If Republicans hold the Senate, Biden’s agenda of tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations and climate-friendly energy policies could be stymied in Congress. Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives.

Biden won back the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — the so-called Blue Wall that delivered the presidency to Trump in 2016. Buoyed by historic turnout, Biden reaped 4 million more votes than Trump nationwide, as of Saturday morning, winning at least 74 million votes to Trump’s 70 million.

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