include several on the front lines of the confrontation, such as former Soviet satellite states Poland and Lithuania, which got visits by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this week. Obama has emphasized that there are no plans to confront Russia militarily. "We do not need to trigger an actual war with Russia," Obama said in an interview with St. Louis television station KSDK recorded at the White House yesterday. "The Ukrainians don't want that, nobody would want that." In his remarks today, Obama again urged the u.s. Congress to finish work on an aid package for Ukraine, which includes 51 billion in loan guarantees. The aid has been tied up by opposition from House Republicans to a provision that would transfer funds to boost the U.S. share at the International Monetary Fund. The administration argues that the funding would help the IMF assist Ukraine. "Expressions of support are not enough,- obama said. "we need action." Loan Guarantee The European Commission, the Eli's executive arm, yesterday proposed adding 1 billion euros (51.4 billion) to a previously approved 610 million euros in budget support for Ukraine. The European aid would accompany an IMF package that's being negotiated. "The most urgent thing to do is to make all our efforts to sustain a credible, stable, viable, democratic, prosperous Ukraine," the commission's president, Jose Barroso, said today. EU leaders will also sign the political provisions of a trade accord with Ukraine tomorrow. For Related News and Information: IMF Bailout Fatigue Among Republicans Delaying Ukraine Aid NSN N2QIIRR6JIJUZ <GO> Merkel, Hollande warn on Russia Sanctions Revealing EU Split NSN N20,2006KLVR5 <GO> Ukraine Military Concedes on Crimea as Russia Tightens Grip NSN NZQON)6JTSF1 <GO> Top Government Stories: GTOP <GO> White House Stories: NI EXE <GO> --with assistance from Julianna Goldman, Kasia Klimasinska, Jonathan Allen and David Lerman in Washington, Ilya Arkhipov in Mosco