21/2/2023–|Last updated: 2/21/202308:43 PM (Makkah)
US President Joe Biden said in a speech delivered in the Polish capital, Warsaw, days before the first anniversary of the start of the Russian war on Ukraine, that his country’s support for Kiev will remain firm, and he saw that the “illusions” of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had dissipated after a year of war.
Biden emphasized that the United States’ commitment to the Ukrainian people and Ukraine’s sovereignty is unwavering and that “democracy will inevitably prevail.”
The US president said that “when Putin ordered his forces to invade Kiev a year ago, he thought we would stand idly by, but he misunderstood.”
Biden believed that his Russian counterpart thought he could use the policy of “divide and rule” with the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but he faced “shocking facts” during a year of war, and now he no longer has illusions about NATO’s strength and unity, as he put it.
The US President accused Russia of committing “heinous massacres” against civilians in Ukraine and using the weapon of rape, and said that the past year witnessed “extraordinary brutality” by Russian forces and mercenaries.
Biden said that the war is not a necessity, but rather a tragedy, and that “Putin can stop the war with one word.”
Biden’s speech comes days before the first anniversary of the start of the Russian war in Ukraine on February 24, and a day after his visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, where he affirmed that his country will stand by Ukraine no matter how long the war lasts.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that Biden’s visit to Ukraine and providing support is “just a play,” stressing that there is no prospect of saving the Kiev regime, as he put it.
Hours before Biden’s speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced – in his annual address to the Parliamentary Assembly – the suspension of his country’s participation in the START treaty to limit nuclear weapons and accused the West of fueling a global war to eliminate Russia.
Putin also announced the use of new strategic systems in combat missions and called on the Ministry of Defense to prepare for the resumption of nuclear tests if necessary, accusing some parties in Washington of considering resuming those tests.