Biden: "We Will Support Ukraine Together as Long as Needed"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden stated on the 7th (local time), "The United States has united with a heart supporting Ukraine. We will stand together as long as necessary."

President Biden said this during his State of the Union address at the joint session of Congress that night, stating, "We opposed Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin)'s invasion." He emphasized, "We have stood with the people of Ukraine," adding, "Tonight, once again, I stand with the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. She represents not only her country but also the courage of the Ukrainian people."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The U.S. president delivers the State of the Union address annually as mandated by the Constitution. It is an occasion to inform the public of the broad direction of national governance and to seek cooperation from Congress. In his first State of the Union address on March 1 last year, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Biden clearly stated his intention to make 'dictator' Putin pay a price for the invasion. Early in the speech, he personally introduced Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., saying, "Light will overcome darkness."

On this day, President Biden once again introduced Ambassador Markarova and reaffirmed his support by saying, "We will stand together as long as necessary." He raised his voice, saying, "The United States is working for freedom, dignity, and peace not only in Europe but everywhere."

Regarding China, which is engaged in overt hegemonic competition, President Biden said, "I have made it clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping that we seek competition, not conflict," and added, "We promise to cooperate with China in areas where it can advance U.S. interests and benefit the world."

However, he emphasized, "Do not be mistaken," and said, "As I clearly stated last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we have already done so." Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense detected a Chinese reconnaissance balloon entering U.S. airspace on the 28th of last month and shot it down on the 4th. The reference to last week's clear statement by President Biden points to this shootdown. The U.S. views this reconnaissance balloon incident as a clear violation of sovereignty.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

In his speech outlining the direction of national governance in the latter half of his term, President Biden stated, "My vision is to restore the soul of the nation, rebuild the American middle class, which is the backbone of the country, and unify the nation."

He said, "The story of America is one of progress and resilience," adding, "We are the only nation that emerges stronger from crises than when we entered them. That is what we do again." He also explained, "Two years ago, our economy was staggering, but we have created a record 12 million jobs since then," and "In the past two years, we have created more jobs than any president did in four years." Regarding COVID-19, he self-assessed, "Today, COVID no longer controls our lives."

Along with this, President Biden urged the Republican Party, which became the majority in the House of Representatives, saying, "The people have sent us a clear message," and "If we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we cannot work together in the new Congress," calling for cooperation. Regarding the ongoing discussions in Congress about raising the federal government debt ceiling, he criticized the Republicans' demand for spending cuts as a precondition, saying, "They are holding the U.S. economy hostage," and urged that the ceiling be raised unconditionally.