In his first State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden allayed the concerns of the world over the ongoing war in Ukraine, vowing to check Russia’s aggression. Calling President Vladimir Putin’s assault “unprovoked” and “premeditated”, Biden said the US would close its airspace to all Russian flights and “go after the crimes” of Russian oligarchs.
Here are top quotes from Joe Biden’s State of the Union address:
🔴 “Six days ago, Putin sought to shake the very foundations of a free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world will roll over. Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined — he met Ukrainian people,” Biden said.
|
Follow live updates
🔴 “Tonight, I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders we built billions of dollars of this violent regime — no more! United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after their crimes”, the President asserted. “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains”, he said, pledging that the US and European allies were coming after their yachts, luxury apartments and private jets. “And tonight, I am announcing that we are joining our allies in closing off our airspace to all Russian flights,” Biden added.
https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1×1.png
🔴 “Our forces are not engaged and will not engage with the conflict of Russian forces in Ukraine. Our forces are not going to Europe to fight (for) Ukraine. But to defend our NATO allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving West, for that purpose we have mobilised American ground forces, air squads, ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The US and our allies will defend every inch of the territory that is NATO territory,” the President said.
🔴 Inviting a standing ovation for his response, Biden began his address stating, “Tonight we meet… with a duty to one another, to America, American people and the Constitution. But most importantly with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.”
🔴 He called upon everyone to stand and welcome the Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, who was present for the address, to “send an unmistakable signal to the world, to Ukraine.” “We the United States of American stand with the Ukrainian people.”
|Around 2,000 Indians have entered Poland: envoy to India
🔴 “Throughout our history, we’ve learnt this lesson, when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause war and chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising,” Biden said.
🔴 “Putin’s attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked. He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought western NATO would not respond. He thought he could divide us at home. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready and we are united.”
🔴 “We shared in advance what we knew about what Putin was planning… we countered Russia’s lies with truth. Now that he’s acted, the free world is holding him accountable with 27 members of the European Union.”
|Why student’s death challenges Indian evacuation, diplomacy on world stage
🔴 “Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been. Together, along with our allies, we are enforcing powerful economic sanctions, we are cutting off Russia’s financial system, preventing Russia’s Central Bank from defending the Ruble and making Putin’s $630 billion war fund worthless. We are choking Russia’s assets.”
🔴 “The Russian economy is reeling and Putin alone is responsible.”
🔴 Biden in his address also outlined plans to address inflation by reinvesting in American manufacturing capacity, speeding supply chains and reducing the burden of childcare and eldercare on workers. “We have a choice…One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation. Lower your costs, not your wages,” he said.
— with AP inputs
