United States President Joe Biden insisted in his State of the Union address that his predecessor Donald Trump told his then-Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to "do whatever the hell you want," allowing thus Moscow's military operation in Ukraine.
Biden stressed the goal of his speech is to "wake up the Congress" at this "unprecedented moment" when "democracy has been under assault" at home and abroad. He insisted that Putin will "not stop at Ukraine" and that "Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons and means to defend itself." Biden added that aid Kiev should receive is blocked by "those who want to walk away from our world leadership."
"We will not walk away. ... We will not bow down," Biden underscored. He noted that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the "strongest military alliance the world has ever seen," especially now that Finland and Sweden joined it. Biden reaffirmed the group must help Ukraine as "history is watching."
