The United Nations announced that about 2 million people have fled from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion of the country.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that millions have left Ukraine, with nearly 500,000 fleeing on Sunday alone, according to The Washington Post.
“This is where we need a more structured system in the E.U. and certainly beyond the E.U. [for] … how to share this responsibility,” Grandi said on Monday, referring to how to manage the distribution of the Ukrainian refugee population, according to the Post.
“I do hope that this, in the end, is the silver lining of this crisis, that Europe understands that any country can become [a] recipient of large numbers of refugees and need the help of others,” he reportedly added.
Most refugees have sought safety in nearby countries, including Poland, where about 1 million people have fled.
Over the weekend, Grandi referred to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered more U.S. troops into Europe over the weekend “to respond to the current security environment in light of Russia’s renewed aggression against Ukraine.”
At the time, he added that President Biden has called for American troops to stay out of Ukraine, but that the forces sent to Europe would aid NATO allies in order “to shore up capabilities that are already there.”