‘Putin Was Wrong’: Biden to Slam Russia’s ‘Premeditated and Unprovoked’ War at State of the Union
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President Joe Biden will use a portion of his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening to criticize Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Ahead of the president’s speech to the country, the White House provided an excerpt of his remarks to Mediaite.
Per the White House Press Office, Biden intends to say:
Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.
That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations.
It matters. American diplomacy matters.
Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.
Putin was wrong. We were ready.
Biden will speak for roughly one hour beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
Due to ongoing events in Ukraine, the continued resistance of the military and civilians against the Russian advance into Kyiv, Biden’s speech has reportedly been revised.
Annie Linskey and Tyler Pager with the Washington Post reported Biden had intended to focus on domestic issues and his agenda. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions over the last week required a pivot:
President Biden’s team has revised his first State of the Union address to portray Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as a major crisis facing the West, according to a person familiar with the text, shifting the tenor of a speech that his team had long hoped would launch a reset of his administration.
…
This new heavy dose of foreign policy is one of several ways the speech will depart from the typical State of the Union address, which modern presidents usually use to sell domestic ideas and exhibit sunny optimism.
