US President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union address that he will continue to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes”, highlighting US leadership against Russian aggression.
Addressing the two chambers of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), gathered in the same hemicycle, the head of state declared on Tuesday that the United States of America (USA) set an example of leadership, by “uniting NATO ” and “building a global coalition” for Ukraine.
“The invasion of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin has been a test of the times. A test for America. A test for the world”, evaluated the head of state.
Biden took advantage of the presence at the event of the Ukrainian ambassador in Washington, Oksana Markarova, to directly give him guarantees of continued support, so that Kiev can continue to defend itself against Russian aggression.
“The ambassador represents not only her nation, but the courage of her people. Ambassador, America stands united in support of your country. We will be with you as long as it takes. Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity and more peace, not just in Europe, but everywhere”, he assured.
In his State of the Union speech, in which he defined the priorities for the next year and asked for the collaboration of congressmen, Biden also included the relationship with China, stressing that he seeks “competition, not conflict”.
However, he made it clear that he would act promptly if “China threatens US sovereignty.”
“But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did it,” said Biden, referring to the shooting down of a Chinese balloon that flew over US territory last week.
Already strained relations between the United States and China have become considerably more strained in recent days following the discovery of this Chinese balloon, allegedly for espionage purposes.
Before assuming the presidential office, rumors were growing that “China was increasing its power and America was falling”, but “no more”, underlined the North American leader.
Biden also defended continued investment, together with US allies, in protecting advanced technologies and preventing them from being used against the country, and in modernizing the armed forces to safeguard stability and prevent aggression.
“I’m not going to apologize for investing to make America stronger,” he advocated.
“Today we are in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or any other country in the world. I am committed to working with China wherever possible to advance American interests and benefit the world,” he added.
The Democrat also stated that, in the last two years, democracies have become stronger and autocracies weaker, highlighting the partnerships that are being formed between various geographies.
“But those who bet against America are learning how wrong they are. It is never a good bet to bet against America,” he assessed.
In a defense of American manufacturing and manufacturing, Joe Biden announced new standards to require that all building materials used in federal infrastructure projects be made in the US: “American-made lumber, glass, gypsum board, cable, fiber optics”, he detailed.
“And under my watch, US roads, bridges and highways will be made with US products,” he added.
Accused repeatedly of “protectionism” by European leaders, the US President wants to ensure that “the supply chain for America starts in America”.
“On the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, Intel is building semiconductor factories. This will create 10,000 jobs: 7,000 in construction and 3,000 jobs when the factories are completed. Jobs that pay $130,000 [121,000 euros] a year and many don’t require a college degree. Jobs where people don’t need to leave their homes in search of opportunities. And it’s just getting started,” he said in an energetic tone.
This was Joe Biden’s second State of the Union and the first time he has addressed Congress since the Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the United States parliament, in last year’s midterms.
*With Lusa
