Data from a new ABC News/Ipsos survey reveals support among majorities of Americans for key polices that President Joe Biden and his administration have pursued in relation to the unfolding war between Ukraine and Russia. As summarized by ABC, “placing tighter economic sanctions on Russia” got the approval of 79 percent of respondents, “accepting refugees from Ukraine into the U.S.” had 63 percent in favor, “sending additional U.S. weapons and equipment to Ukraine” had 70 percent behind it, and “sending additional U.S. troops to nearby European countries but not Ukraine” garnered the support of 53 percent of poll respondents.
The Biden administration has reiterated that the U.S. has no intentions of pursuing direct military conflict with Russia, meaning U.S. troops won’t be entering Ukraine in connection to the war. That stance also means that the U.S. has been against establishing a so-called no fly zone in Ukrainian airspace. Setting up such a thing would entail the potential of direct confrontations between U.S. and Russian personnel should aircraft from Putin’s forces violate the hypothetical arrangement. Notably, ABC explains that “[despite] being in lockstep with White House policies, slightly more than half (53%) of Americans disapprove of the way Biden is handling the situation with Russia and Ukraine, with a great disparity in disapproval between Republicans (85%) and Democrats (28%).” In other words, it appears as though a majority of overall respondents disapproved of Biden’s personal approach to the Russia-Ukraine war — although his approach largely constitutes the individual policies for which majorities of respondents expressed support when separately considered.
⚡️ Denisova: Russian troops had headquarters in a church in Chernihiv Oblast, bodies found on site.
According to Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova, the case of people being shot in a church adds to the list of newly identified war crimes.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 10, 2022
The U.S. is continuing to provide defense assistance to Ukraine, amid other means of support. “Now is no time for complacency,” President Joe Biden recently said. “The Russian military may have failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv, but it continues to inflict horrific acts of brutality on the Ukrainian people. As the Russian military repositions for the next phase of this war, I have directed my Administration to continue to spare no effort to identify and provide to the Ukrainian military the advanced weapons capabilities it needs to defend its country.” The U.S. has sanctioned hundreds upon hundreds of targets across Russian society, and on Friday, Biden formally signed two bills into law broadening the economic approach by the United States to holding Putin accountable: one, H.R. 6968, “statutorily prohibits the importation of energy products from the Russian Federation,” the White House said, while the other, H.R. 7108, “suspends normal trade relations with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus and seeks to further leverage trade and human rights sanctions,” also according to Biden’s administration.
⚡️ Almost entire city of Severodonetsk shelled, says governor.
Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said “the city’s infrastructure has been almost completely destroyed.”
On April 10, two residential buildings and a clinic were hit by Russia.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 10, 2022
Although Russian ground troops were recently cleared from areas including the administrative district around the Ukrainian capital, the fighting is continuing, with additional recent Russian strikes on targets like a Kramatorsk train station in use by thousands of evacuating civilians. Russians are further focusing their violence in eastern and southern areas of Ukraine; summarizing revelations from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform (a Ukrainian government information source) reported on Sunday that “Russian forces are trying to complete preparations for an offensive operation in eastern Ukraine. The movement of Russian troops to the regions bordering Ukraine continues.”
⚡️ FM Kuleba: "Extremely difficult to even think of negotiations with people who commit atrocities'
"But if sitting down with the Russians will help prevent at least one massacre, like in Bucha, or attack in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity," Kuleba told NBC.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 10, 2022
