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Biden during his SOTU address said Putin “badly miscalculated” by invading Ukraine.
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Putin “met a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined” in Ukraine, Biden said.
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“The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage, but the next few days, weeks, months, will be hard on them,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden during his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night said Russian President Vladimir Putin “badly miscalculated” with his invasion of Ukraine.
“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated,” Biden said.
“He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined,” Biden said of Putin, adding, “He met the Ukrainian people.”
Biden then called for a standing ovation for Ukraine, which prompted applause and cheering across the House floor.
“The Ukrainian Ambassador to the US is here tonight, sitting with the first lady. Let each of us, if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to the world and Ukraine,” Biden said.
Biden ripped into Putin, whom he referred to as a “Russian dictator,” for launching a “premeditated and totally unprovoked” war against Ukraine.
The president then went on to cite the ways the US has moved to punish Putin for the invasion, including “powerful economic sanctions.”
Biden said the US and its allies are “cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system” and “choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has rallied the West against it, prompting the US and countries across Europe to move to isolate Putin both economically and politically. A number of countries that previously took neutral stances or refused to send weapons to Ukraine have reversed their policies in response to the Russian invasion. The steps taken against Russia in recent days have already battered its economy and seen the value of the Russian ruble plunge to a record low.
The US has provided Ukraine with billions in security assistance, including lethal aid, since Russia last invaded Ukraine in 2014. Biden during his speech said the US would continue to aid Ukraine, but underscored that US “forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.” The president also announced that the US was closing its airspace to Russian aircraft.
Putin launched a war against Ukraine last week. Russia’s military is widely considered to be the second most powerful in the world, and many analysts expected it to swiftly overwhelm Ukraine’s armed forces. But Russia has been met with stiffer resistance than it anticipated.
That said, fighting was ongoing as Biden spoke on Tuesday night, with Kyiv bracing for a massive Russian assault. A miles-long Russian convoy is advancing on the Ukrainian capital, and cities across the country have faced intense shelling — further testing Ukraine’s resolve in the face of Russian aggression.
Biden acknowledged the grim situation in his speech.
“The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage, but the next few days, weeks, months, will be hard on them,” Biden said. “Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. While he may make gains on the battlefield, he will pay a continuing high price over the long run.”
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