In Tuesday’s State of the Union (SOTU) address, President Joe Biden cautioned against Russia and China’s growing aggression, declaring that the US is stronger than ever and will not hesitate to respond in the face of threats.
Confronting Russia
Biden stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “unleashed a brutal war [and] murderous assault” on Ukraine, which in turn, has evoked the “images of death and destruction” that Europe suffered during the Second World War.
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Noting that Putin’s invasion is a threat to the US and the world, Biden vowed that his country would help Ukraine attain freedom and protect democracy. Washington will not allow “would-be aggressors” to threaten global security and prosperity, he emphasised.
In this respect, he noted that the US has led efforts to thwart Putin’s aggression and consistently stood with the Ukrainian people. Addressing the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, who was invited by Biden to attend the SOTU Address, the president said that Americans are “united” in their support for Ukraine.
WATCH: President #JoeBiden addresses Ukrainian ambassador to the #US Oksana Markarova and promises to support #Ukraine against Russian aggression.#SOTU #StateOfTheUnion #Biden #VladimirPutin #Putin #RussiaUkraineWar #Russia #Kyiv #Zelensky #RussiaUkraine #UkraineRussia pic.twitter.com/xTF8llloqk
— Statecraft (@statecraftdaily) February 8, 2023
“Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, and more peace, not just in Europe, but everywhere,” he claimed.
Warning China
Dismissing concerns that the US is falling behind China, Biden said that his administration is investing heavily in “American innovation” and “industries that will define the future.”
“I’ve made clear with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] that we seek competition, not conflict. I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong,” Biden noted.
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He further announced that the US will take steps to modernise its military and work with allies to ensure that “advanced technologies are not used against us.” He noted that the US is in the “strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world.”
Although the president highlighted that the US is “committed” to working with China, in reference to the suspected Chinese spy balloon, Biden stressed that, “if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.”
Finally, he pointed out that despite the world facing several “serious challenges,” there is hope for optimism as “democracies have become stronger, not weaker [and] autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger.”