Joe Biden presented himself as a unifying president and leader of the free world against Vladimir Putin, whom he called a “Russian dictator” who downplayed the West’s response to the Ukraine invasion, in his first State of the Union address.
“Please stand up, if possible, and demonstrate that yes, we, the United States, stand with the Ukrainian people,” the speech began, nearly a week after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr. Zelensky, who asked for help to “stop the aggressor as soon as possible”.
For Biden, Putin is “a Russian dictator, who invades a foreign country”.
“Throughout our history we have learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay the price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” he said, referring to the Russian president, who rejected dialogue and ignored warnings.
After a multi-week effort to unify Western allies around unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia and a flow of military aid to non-NATO Ukraine, Biden presented a scenario of what, in his words, represents a revitalized global leadership of the United States.
The Russian president “rejected diplomatic efforts. He thought the West and NATO would not respond. And he thought he could split us up here at home. But Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
“In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies rise to the occasion and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security,” he said.
“Putin is as isolated as he has ever been,” Biden said. “You have no idea what’s coming,” he added, referring to economic sanctions that continue to be announced as Russian tanks continue their advance towards Kiev.
Sanctions also have consequences in the West, as Russia is a major producer of oil and gas.
– “Corrupt leaders” –
Nearly 30 countries have reached an agreement to “release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world”, of which the United States will participate with 30 million to stabilize the market, the president announced to Americans, worried about a war that provoked the soaring fuel prices.
And Putin is not the West’s only target. The Democrat also criticized the Russian ruling circle, oligarchs and “corrupt leaders” who, according to Biden, embezzled billions of dollars. The American president warned they will be “without their yachts, luxury apartments and private planes.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, attended the speech as a guest of the first lady, Jill Biden, to a standing ovation.
Biden, however, repeated that US troops “are not and will not participate” in the war in Europe.
– Economy –
After the start about Ukraine, the Democrat moved on to address domestic issues. The 79-year-old president faces several political challenges at home, which he mentioned and for which he presented possible solutions, aware that his popularity is falling in polls after 14 months in office, at around 40%.
Despite the strong economy, inflation in the country is the highest in four decades.
“My priority is to control prices,” he said, in a country where votes are decided by economic issues and a few months away from the midterm elections in which Republicans, still under the strong influence of their predecessor Donald Trump, can win the election. majority in Congress.
He called for a reduction in the price of drugs, especially insulin, which is used by Joshua Davis, a teenager with diabetes for whom he called for applause during his speech.
He also promised to reduce the deficit and to have more products “made in the United States so as not to be at the mercy of foreign supply networks”.
– Migration reform –
Enumerating topics on his presidential agenda, Biden said the answer “is not to withdraw funds from the police, but to finance them”, when commenting on the issue of violence in some cities.
Speaking about migration along the southern border, where hundreds of thousands of migrants arrive, many of them from Central America, he urged Congress to pass immigration reform “once and for all” because it is not just the right thing to do. do, but what is “economically smart”.
In addition to the figure of unifying president, Biden presented himself as an advocate of opportunities for minorities and protector of the less fortunate, such as transgender minors, against whom some conservative states adopt measures contrary to the medical processes followed by some of them.
The Democrat also tried to lift the morale of Americans, depressed by the pandemic. “Covid-19 should no longer control our lives,” he told congressmen without masks, after the relaxation of sanitary measures.
And he did not avoid controversial topics, including the right to abortion, which he defended again, despite being a practicing Catholic.
Biden’s objective: to recover the shine lost by the erosion of power, unite his voters and bring cheer to the population. All in just one hour.
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