Joe Biden points out that Putin will receive a high price for the invasion of Ukraine
Biden is the first US president since the end of the Cold War not to say he is seeking a fresh start with the Kremlin.
Post-Cold War US presidents have delivered State of the Union addresses, defending the strength of this country in the face of constant threats from Russia and the West.
For the first time, on Tuesday, March 1, a president of the United States offered a speech to ask the nation for calm, in the face of Russian aggression in Europe, and the frequent threat of a nuclear alert, which had not been seen since several decades ago.
The president asked those present to make some kind of unequivocal sign to the people, to show the world and Ukraine that they are really with them. In this way he assured that the United States fully supports the Ukrainian people.
After the request, those present applauded as they stood up, in a show of support for the Ukrainian ambassador, who was present in the room. This was a meeting at a time of unity and bipartisanship, far from the divisions between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.
Important details of this speech
On these occasions, President Biden is often accompanied by important guests. This time, the guests were Jill Biden, the first lady, and Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador.
Different senators and deputies wore the colors of Ukraine, yellow and blue, as a show of support and tribute. Even in the hemicycle mini-flags of the affected country could also be seen.
Jill Biden wore a blue dress, with an embroidered sunflower, which is the symbol of the Ukrainian resistance.
This was the first time in history, in which in the solemn speech of the president, there are two women sitting behind him. The tradition is that these positions are filled by the presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Being the first position of Kamala Harris, the vice president and the second of, Nancy Pelosi, representative of California and Democratic leader.
In the speeches, Joe Biden is accompanied by: 435 deputies, nine Supreme Court Thursdays, 100 senators, the entire cabinet, except for the minister who is chosen as the " designated successor ", who would inherit the presidency in the event of an event in The capitol. Gina Raimondo was chosen on this occasion.
Initially, Biden directly addressed the issue of Russia, which did not happen even in the decline of the Cold War, in the Ronald Reagan years.
He only referred to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, twice. In one of them, he quoted Zelensky " light triumphs over darkness ", a phrase he said in his speech before Parliament.
Statements by Joe Biden
Joe Biden, in his first State of the Union address, the 46th president of the United States, reported that they would close their country's airspace to Russian planes, forming part of the measure that the European Union took.
This speech was made as Russian tanks were approaching Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This city has a mass exodus of citizens to the west, and a large number of civilian deaths, caused by bombing, including children.
Biden said in his speech that Vladimir Putin began to shake the foundations of the free world six days ago, considering that he would bow to his threats, but it did not go well.
In the speech, Biden called Vladimir Putin a dictator. Next, he reported that the sanctions applied to Russia could result in gasoline costs.
Therefore, he was honest with his citizens and said that when a dictator invades a foreign country, the world will be affected.
Therefore, it will take strong action to ensure that the country's sanctions are directed at Russia directly. He added that he will use every tool at his disposal to keep American businesses and consumers protected.
One of these measures is the circulation of 30 million barrels of crude oil reserves in the United States, in order to handle the increase in fuel prices. According to President Biden, the US partners will be responsible for releasing 60 million barrels of crude oil.
Long-term consequences of invasion
The American president said that Putin will have to pay a high price for this invasion. This is because it has generated chaos and violence, and although it may make a profit on the battlefield, it will have to pay a high price later on.
He assured that the Ukrainian people, who have experienced 30 years of independence and have repeatedly shown that they do not accept that someone tries to make their country go backwards.
legislative proposal
The president decided to defend his reform program at a time when the polls are falling in popularity. The partial elections will be held in November of this year. In these, the precarious Democratic majority in both houses of the Capitol will be played.
Annually, the chief executive must explain his legislative proposals, in writing or through a speech before both chambers of the Capitol, in its entirety, as this time Joe Biden's speech was made.
Normally this is the political speech with the largest number of viewers. At the time of Donald Trump, it had close to 50 million viewers.
Following his inauguration, Biden is the first US president since the end of the Cold War who did not announce a new beginning with the Kremlin.
In addition, he made his debut in office by calling Putin a "murderer" in a television interview, which led to the Russian ambassador in Washington calling for inquiries.
After this, both presidents have only seen each other twice : the first was in June of last year, they met in Geneva, and the second was in December of last year, via videoconference.