Putin was wrong, US is ready: Biden in first State of the Union Address

Addressing his maiden State of the Union speech on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden accused Russia’s Vladimir Putin of waging a “premeditated and unprovoked” war against Ukraine, and said the United States was ready to tackle all challenges posed by Russia.

“Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising,” Biden said addressing the joint session of the Congress.

“That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War II. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations. It matters. American diplomacy matters,” he said, launching a blistering attack on Putin.

“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready,” Biden said.

Stating that Putin’s attack on Ukraine was “badly miscalculated,” Biden heaped praised on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for defending his country against Russian forces.

“Putin thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people,” Biden said. “In this struggle as President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy said in his speech to the European Parliament ‘Light will win over darkness.’ The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight. Let each of us here tonight in this Chamber send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” Biden said amidst applause from a packed house of lawmakers.

The US President said Biden the US and its allies have prepared extensively and carefully for this day.

“We spent months building a coalition of other freedom-loving nations from Europe and the Americas to Asia and Africa to confront Putin,” he said. “We countered Russia’s lies with truth. And now that he has acted the free world is holding him accountable,” he said amidst another round of applause. “Together with our allies we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. We are cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system. Preventing Russia’s central bank from defending the Russian Ruble making Putin’s $630 Billion war fund worthless,” he said.

“We are choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come. Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime no more,” he said.

Biden said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having economic ramifications across the world. “And I’m taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russia’s economy. And I will use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers,” he said.

He said that when the history of this era is written, Putin’s war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. “We see the unity among leaders of nations and a more unified Europe a more unified West. We see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world even in Russia to demonstrate their support for Ukraine,” he said. “In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security,” he added.

Biden said that the US Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs.

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” he said. “And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy. The Ruble has lost 30 per cent of its value,” he said.

He said the Russian stock market has lost 40 per cent of its value and trading remains suspended. Russia’s economy is reeling and Putin alone is to blame, he added.

Biden, however, was amply clear that US forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine. “Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO Allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west,” he said.

“For that purpose we’ve mobilised American ground forces, air squadrons, and ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. As I have made crystal clear the United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory of NATO countries with the full force of our collective power,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)