A new push to shore up Ukraine now and in the months to come,

as President Biden prepares to ask Congress for a new aid package,

and it goes beyond just military support.

Plus, a new video from a Ukrainian military commander

hold up inside that steel plant in Mariupil,

pleading with the international community to, quote,

extract everyone as soon as possible. We'll get a live report from Ukraine. Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci

clarifies comments he made that the United States is now, quote, out of the pandemic phase.

We'll tell you what he's saying now.

Thank you. out of the pandemic phase. We'll tell you what he's saying now. Good morning and welcome to way too early on this Thursday, April 28th. I'm Jonathan Lemire.

President Biden is expected to ask Congress to fund a new aid package for Ukraine today.

In scheduled remarks from the White House this morning, two sources tell NBC News that the president

will lay out the details of a, quote, massive requests, which is intended to last through September.

The U.S. has already provided Ukraine with more than $3 billion

in aid since the invasion began, including an $800 million package that was announced last week.

Following that spending, President Biden said the White House had nearly run out of funding

authorized by Congress. Prices for natural gas have increased after Russia stoked tensions by cutting off exports

to Poland and Bulgaria for refusing to pay with Russian rubles.

Both countries are members of NATO and are heavily reliant on Russian natural gas.

But so far, officials in those two countries said the action taken by

Russia won't have much impact. Poland's climate minister stressed yesterday that the country was

already prepared for such a situation after working for years to diversify its energy supply.

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