US President Joe Biden assured Ukrainians that America would support their country “as long as it takes” in the face of continued Russian aggression, and warned other autocracies that betting against America was a bad thing. bet.
In the presence of Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, the President told her and the American people: “Ambassador, America stands united in our support for your country. We will be with you as long as it takes.”
“Our strength is not only in the example of our power, but in the power of our example. Let’s keep in mind that the world is watching,” Biden said in his State of the Union address to Congress.
He recalled that a year ago Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed a brutal war against Ukraine. Biden called it “a murderous attack that conjures up images of the death and destruction that Europe suffered during World War II.”
“Putin’s invasion was a test for all time,” he continued. – A test for America. A test for the world.”
“Are we going to respect the most fundamental principles? Will we defend sovereignty? Will we defend the right of the people to live free from tyranny. Are we going to defend democracy? he asked.
He said such protection is important because it maintains the peace and prevents potential aggressors from threatening the security and prosperity of the United States.
“A year later, we know the answer,” the president continued. – Yes we will. And yes, we did. Together we did what America always does best. We took it with us.”
“We united NATO and built a global coalition,” Biden continued. – We opposed Putin’s aggression. We supported the Ukrainian people.
The president said America is working to ensure that not only in Europe, but around the world, there is more freedom, more dignity and more peace.
“I will not apologize for the fact that we are investing in making America strong,” Biden said. “We invest in American innovation, industries that will shape the future and which the Chinese government intends to dominate. Invest in our alliances and work with our allies to protect our advanced technologies from being used against us. Modernize our armed forces to ensure stability and deter aggression.
“Today we are in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world,” concluded Biden.
The president warned that if China threatened US sovereignty, the US would take action to protect the country.
“But over the past two years, democracies have gotten stronger, not weaker,” Biden said. “Autocracies have become weaker, not stronger. Allies get stronger, spend more, and do more. Bridges are being built between partners in the Pacific and Atlantic regions. And those who bet against America will find out how wrong they are. It’s never profitable to bet against America.”
