US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address is also a reckoning with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US President also announced new sanctions – including against oligarchs.
US President Joe Biden used his State of the Union address to settle accounts with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war of aggression against Ukraine. Biden referred to Putin on Tuesday evening (local time) before Congress as “Russian dictator”, which is now more isolated internationally than ever before. The President also announced that US airspace would be closed to Russian aircraft.
Putin tried to attack Ukraine “to shake the foundations of the free world”, Biden said in his first so-called State of the Union Address to both chambers of Congress. The Russian President, however, “heavily miscalculated”.
Biden praises the courage of the Ukrainians
“He thought he could invade Ukraine and the world would turn the other way”said Biden. “Instead, he has encountered a wall of strength he never imagined the Ukrainian people could have.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians would join the world “her fearlessness, her courage, her determination” to inspire. “Groups of citizens block tanks with their bodies. From students to teachers to retirees, everyone becomes a soldier and defends their homeland.”
At the same time, the international community is holding Putin accountable with tough sanctions, said the 79-year-old President. Putin believed the West and NATO would attack Ukraine “do not answer”and he could do the west “columns”. “Putin was wrong. We are ready.”
Joe Biden announces further sanctions
“We inflict pain on Russia and support the Ukrainian people”Biden said. “Putin is now more isolated from the world than ever before.” The US President announced tough action against Russian oligarchs – the West would become theirs “Yachts, luxury apartments and private jets” confiscate – and announced a closure of US airspace for “all Russian flights”.
The US would thus join its allies and “further isolate Russia”. Before the US, the EU and Canada had already banned Russian planes from flying over, taking off and landing on their territory.
At the beginning of his hour-long speech, Biden called on the senators and lawmakers present to stand up as a symbol of support for Ukraine. The parliamentarians loudly applauded Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the USA who had been invited as a guest.
US President emphasizes cohesion
Biden warned that Ukraine still faces tough challenges “days, weeks and months” before. But the world community stands by the side of the country. “In the struggle between democracy and autocracy, democracies face up to their responsibilities and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.”
In his State of the Union address, Biden, who has been in office since January 2021, also addressed a number of domestic and economic policy issues. He announced decisive action against the high inflation, which has recently reached 7.5 percent, its highest level in 40 years.
Fight against inflation as top priority
Fighting inflation did for him “top priority”, said the US Democrat, who is doing poorly in the polls. Biden announced, among other things, more goods like “cars and semiconductors” wanting to have it manufactured in the USA in order to avoid problems with the international supply chains.
At the same time, Biden praised successes in the fight against the corona pandemic. “Thanks to the progress we’ve made over the past year, we no longer need to let Covid-19 control our lives.” However, he warned that new virus mutations could exacerbate the situation again.
After skyrocketing in December and January, the number of corona infections in the USA had recently fallen significantly again due to the spread of the omicron variant. The US health authority CDC recently relaxed its recommendations for wearing protective masks.
This also became visible during Biden’s speech in Congress: the previous mask requirement was lifted shortly before the President’s speech. Only a few parliamentarians wore masks.
Source: Stern
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