President Joe Biden said he planned to speak to Americans on Thursday after a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders.
A statement from The White House says President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The statement, released early Thursday morning, said Zelenskyy reached out to President Biden as Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine.
President Biden said Zelenskyy "asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin's flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine."
It also said that the U.S. and its allies and partners will impose severe sanctions on Russia and that "we will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people."
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
