US President Biden lashed out at Russian President Putin in his speech in Warsaw. Biden also underlined his support for Ukraine.
“This war is not a necessity, it is a choice. Putin chose it. It is his choice, every day,” he said at the Royal Castle in the Polish capital. “If Putin stops the war, then the war will end. If Ukraine stops defending itself, then Ukraine will end.”
In his speech, Biden expressed pride in the “heroic Ukrainians” defending their country. “A year ago, the world prepared for the fall of Kyiv. But I can report: Kyiv is strong, it is proud and most importantly, Kyiv is free,” said Biden, who made an unexpected visit to the Ukrainian capital yesterday.
“When Putin ordered the tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought he was rolling over the Ukrainians. He was wrong,” he told hundreds of people in Warsaw. He stressed that the West has no intention of attacking Russia.
Biden’s speech was all about one year of war:
It was the second time in a year that Biden spoke in Warsaw. The speech came hours after a speech by President Putin, who lashed out at the West and suspended the last remaining nuclear treaty with the Americans. Biden did not respond to Putin’s words.
The US president promised that the United States and its allies will continue to support Ukraine even though “difficult days lie ahead”. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, Biden said.
‘Watch over freedom’
“The democracies of the world will guard the freedom of today, tomorrow and forever,” he said. Biden also pointed out that Putin is “facing something he didn’t think possible a year ago”. “Ukraine will not falter, NATO will not be divided and we will not falter.”
Biden will also speak tomorrow with the leaders of the ‘Bucharest 9’, the group of nine NATO countries along the eastern flank. In addition to Poland, this includes Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is expected that NATO chief Stoltenberg will also be present.
- Russia suspends latest nuclear treaty with US, Putin says in speech
- ‘Russian invasion has more impact on the world than 9/11’
- Biden chooses Warsaw as the stage for a new speech and that is no coincidence
