Biden's off to Asia

Plus, G7 pledges $20 billion for Ukraine.

President Biden makes his first diplomatic trip to Asia; G7 commits nearly $20 billion for Ukraine.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Natasha Ishak. TOP NEWS President Biden heads east on first Asia trip since taking office Kim Min-Hee/Getty Images President Joe Biden departed Friday for a five-day diplomatic tour in Asia, the president's first visit to the region since taking office last year. [Al Jazeera / Zaheena Rasheed] Biden's Asia trip agenda is focused on strengthening partnerships with Asian leaders as part of the US strategy of uniting allies against China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. [The Hill / Morgan Chalfant and Laura Kelly]  Biden's first stop is South Korea, a longtime US ally. The visit is meant to reinforce security relations between the two countries and potentially address supply chain problems hitting American consumers. [New York Times / Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Peter Baker] Sunday, Biden heads to Japan to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The president is expected to launch the United States' much-anticipated economic plan for the Indo-Pacific region while in Tokyo. [Deutsche Welle] In Japan, Biden will also meet with leaders from India and Australia. Together the four countries make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — known as the Quad — an international strategic security alliance. [The National / Taniya Dutta] G7 countries pledge nearly $20 billion in aid to Ukraine The Group of Seven leading economies, known as G7, agreed Friday to provide $19.8 billion in economic aid to Ukraine during the group's meeting in Germany. [Associated Press / Fatima Hussein and Geir Moulson] The $19.8 billion will be separate from other financial commitments to provide Ukraine with weapons and humanitarian aid to defend itself against Russia. [ABC News] In addition to the financial aid from G7 countries — which includes Germany, Japan, Italy, and the US, among others — Ukraine will receive an additional $9.5 billion from the European Union. [Politico / Johanna Treeck and Paola Tamma] The International Monetary Fund estimated in April that Ukraine needs $5 billion per month, over the span of at least three months, to maintain government services and to keep its economy afloat. [Reuters / Francesco Guarascio] Saturday, the G7 demanded Russia end its "illegal war" against Ukraine and stated it would not recognize new borders stemming from Russia's invasion. [Axios / Jacob Knutson] MISCELLANEOUS The 50-50 Senate split and Vice President Kamala Harris's role as the chamber's vote tie-breaker are making it difficult for her to execute other parts of her job, aides say. [Politico / Eugene Daniels] Nobel winner and East Timor's ex-President Jose Ramos-Horta, who led the country's fight for independence from Indonesia, was sworn in as its president for a second time on Thursday. [Al Jazeera] SpaceX paid a former flight attendant at the company $250,000 after founder and CEO Elon Musk allegedly exposed himself to her and propositioned her for sex. [ Insider / Rich McHugh] A judge ruled the Argentine government is guilty in the massacre of over 400 Indigenous people nearly a century ago, ordering reparations for the communities in a landmark trial decision Friday. [BBC] Support our journalism   Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today. Give CROSSWORD OF THE DAY What's a four-letter abbreviation for guardians of the 'Star Wars' galaxy? Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle, and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. VERBATIM "Georgia was a place in 2020 where we watched three statewide elected officials stand up and protect the vote, protect the will of the voters. If we want to see that happen again in 2024 ... we need to make sure that we're electing people who fundamentally believe in the system." [Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action, which is tracking election deniers running for office in the US / Guardian] LISTEN TO THIS Why the right is thirsty for Hungary The Conservative Political Action Conference, which is like Republican Coachella, is usually held stateside, but this week it's throwing a party in Budapest, Hungary. Noel King got kicked out.   Listen now   ▶ Read more from Vox What Biden's approach to Asia misses   Doug Mastriano really believes Trump's lies about 2020. 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