Last week, the White House said the “the vast, vast majority” of Ukrainian refugees who have fled Vladimir Putin’s scorched-earth assault prefer to remain in Europe. Yet U.S. officials also reported that they were overwhelmed by Ukrainians desperate to get to the United States.
Both things are surely true. Now as the flight of refugee numbers attains head-spinning proportions — more than 3.5 million so far, mainly women and children — the United States has stepped up to shoulder a share of what has become a crushing burden.
On Thursday, the White House announced a plan to resettle as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United States. Officials said the Biden administration will also accelerate the reunification of Ukrainians, including those already in the refugee pipeline, with relatives in the United States. The move is in keeping with U.S. leadership in NATO and with its traditional role as a haven for displaced people in humanitarian crises.
