Moved 12,000 US troops along borders with Russia but not fighting WWIII in Ukraine, says Biden
Washington(PTI): US President Joe Biden said he has moved 12,000 troops along the borders with Russia, such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania while asserting that Vladimir Putin will not be victorious in the war he has waged against Ukraine.
Addressing members of the House Democratic Caucus on Friday, Biden stressed over "not fighting a third World War in Ukraine" but avowed sending an "unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory".
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a group of 30 North American and European nations. According to NATO, its purpose "is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means."
Biden said the people of Ukraine have demonstrated remarkable bravery and courage in the face of a Russian military offensive but the security assistance that the US provides has been critical in their defence.
"And as we provide support to Ukraine, we're going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory with a united galvanized NATO," the US president said.
"That's why I've moved 12,000 American forces along the borders with Russia -- Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania et cetra... Granted, if we respond, it is World War three. But we have a sacred obligation on NATO territory... although we will not fight a third World War in Ukraine."
On February 24, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- as independent entities.
"The idea that we're going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews, just understand -- and don't kid yourself, no matter what you all say -- that's called World War Three," he said.
The US president said that he spent hours the alliance together -- the EU, NATO and including all those in Asia.
"As a result, we've been able to ramp up our economic pressure on Putin and further isolate Russia on the global stage," he said.
Biden said the G7 nations -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States -- made a move to remove the favoured nation status for Russia.
He claimed that as a result of the US-led sanctions, the economy of Russia is badly impacted.
"The totality of our economic sanctions and export controls are crushing the Russian economy. The Ruble has lost more than half its value."
"Moscow Stock Exchange is closed... why is it closed? Because the moment it opens, it will be disbanded. Credit rating agencies have downgraded Russia's government to junk status," Biden said.
He said that democracies are rising to the moment rallying the world for peace and security. "We are showing strength and we will never falter. Putin's war against Ukraine will never be a victory."
"I want to thank you for showing a unified front to the world. When Putin unleashed his assault, he thought he could divide NATO.
"He thought he could divide this country in terms of the parties. He thought he could divide Democrats and Republicans at home, but he failed," Biden told the members of the House Democratic Caucus.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
