Kamala Harris news - VP meets Trudeau, refugees in Poland as White House says Russian economy ‘crushed’

Ms Psaki says nothing is off the table in relation to a federal gas tax holiday called for by Democratic governors given the spike in prices, but the current focus is increasing the global supply of gas.

Here’s our reporting on the call for a pause in the gas tax.

A Republican congresswoman has been ridiculed online for supporting a no-fly zone above Ukraine even though she allegedly does not “know what it will mean”.

Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents Florida’s 27th congressional district, told reporters she “absolutely” supported Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls for a no-fly zone when asked on Wednesday.

“Absolutely, I support everything that has to do with punishing Vladimir Putin and helping the Ukrainians,” Ms Salazar said when asked whether or not she supported a no fly zone in Ukraine while adding, “I don’t know what it will mean but freedom is not free”.

Gino Spocchia reports.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave a blunt response when asked about the US response to Russia to date.

A video has emerged of North Carolina Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” and his government “evil”.

“Remember that Zelensky is a thug,” Mr Cawthorn told supporters, a video obtained by WRAL shows. “Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.”

While it remains unclear where the video was filmed, Karl Rove, who served as President George W Bush’s deputy chief of staff, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Mr Cawthorn made the comments over the weekend during an event in Asheville. Mr Rove said he believed that the comments “didn’t reflect Republican opinion”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Per the pool report:

Ms Harris, seated to the left of Mr Trudeau, was flanked by her national security advisor, chief of staff and other top officials.

She said both nations were there to “reaffirm the strength of the Nato alliance” and said the two would “discuss what we in particular can do to strengthen our assistance, security assistance, humanitarian assistance” to the Ukrainian people.

“I know we stand in solidarity in terms of our outrage against this war,” Ms Harris added.

Mr Trudeau commended the Biden administration for “the kind of alignment, the kind of strength and unity we’ve shown”.

“I think it’s really made a difference,” he added.

“First of all, Vladimir Putin totally underestimated the strength and resolve of the Ukrainian people. But he also underestimated the strength and resolve of democracy to stand up in support of Ukraine,” he continued.

“From crippling sanctions against Putin and his top supporters to unprecedented humanitarian aide to security and military support for Ukrainians fighting not just for Ukraine but for all of us, we stand shoulder to shoulder.”

The two leaders ignored shouted questions over whether Russia’s use of a chemical weapon would be a red line or what specific actions the United States would take to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland gave some of his most wide-ranging comments yet about the January 6 investigation in an interview with NPR, telling the news organisation that his agency would not shy away from tough prosecutions based on political decisions.

Mr Garland is seen as a lionising figure among some liberals in the US after he was appointed to the Justice Department following his unsuccessful nomination to the Supreme Court in the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency. He now heads up one of the largest investigations in the agency’s history that has already led to hundreds of prosecutions and shows no sign of slowing down.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

In a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque, President Joe Biden declared Colombia a major non-Nato ally.

Or, as the president called them, “A major, major non-Nato ally.”

North Carolina Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn has been slammed after a video emerged of him calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” and his government “evil”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.