NEW YORK, Sept 19 (Portal) – U.S. President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to stand with Ukraine against Russian invaders, hoping Republicans in the Congress would also take note of this.
“Russia believes the world will grow tired and allow Ukraine to be brutalized without consequence,” Biden said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly. “If we allow Ukraine to be divided, will the independence of a nation be secured?”
Biden drew applause when he said the United States and its allies would support Ukraine’s fight for freedom. “Russia alone bears responsibility for this war,” the president said. “Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately.”
Biden’s address at the annual gathering was the centerpiece event of his three-day visit to New York, which will include meetings with the leaders of five Central Asian nations as well as the leaders of Israel and Brazil.
Biden, a Democrat, has made mobilizing U.S. allies to support Ukraine a key part of U.S. foreign policy and argued the world needs to send a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he cannot outlast the West.
Biden has faced criticism from some Republicans who want the United States to spend less money on the war effort.
Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has vowed to seek a quick end to the war if he returns to power.
Trump expressed skepticism about Washington’s commitment to traditional allies, including NATO, and praised Putin.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Washington, has questioned whether the United States should continue sending billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine.
In his speech, Biden said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and occupation of the territory violated the founding charter of the United Nations, whose main principle is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
[1/5]U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. Portal/Mike Segar ACQUIRE LICENSE RIGHTS
His comments echoed those of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said the Russian invasion had “triggered a nexus of horror” in his opening speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
A Biden administration official said Biden and U.S. officials would also focus on mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development and combating climate change at the U.N. meetings.
According to a Portal/Ipsos poll in June, a clear majority of Americans support sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and believe such aid shows a willingness to protect China and other U.S. rivals To protect US allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended and applauded Biden’s remarks before his own speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, was scheduled to visit Biden at the White House on Thursday and also meet some members of Congress.
The United States is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine to coincide with Zelensky’s visit, and Congress has been asked to approve billions of dollars more in security aid for the rest of the year.
“We are confident there will be cross-party support for this. I think President Zelensky does too,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
After his speech, Biden was scheduled to sit down with Guterres to talk about trouble spots in the world.
Later he will take part in a summit with the presidents of five Central Asian countries for the first time. These are Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
On Wednesday, Biden will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and join him at an event with union leaders from Brazil and the United States.
Also on Wednesday, Biden will have his first face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Netanyahu regained power last December.
Sullivan said they would “discuss a vision for a more stable, prosperous and integrated region and share experiences on how to effectively counter and deter Iran.”
Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons, Grant McCool and Howard Goller
Our standards: The Thomson Portal Trust Principles.
Acquire license rights, opens new tab