Putin promised to give Ukraine 18% of it.. Biden's State of the Union address ignored foreign files and focused on domestic concerns

WASHINGTON

- US President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address in his presidency came at a defining moment in modern American history less than a week after the start of the Russian war on Ukraine.

The speech did not address foreign issues, whether related to confronting China, the Iranian nuclear file or global trade issues, and focused on internal affairs, in addition to the Ukraine crisis.

Hours before his speech, Biden spoke for more than half an hour with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to Washington, was invited as an extraordinary guest, and she sat next to the first lady of America.

Biden spoke about the Ukrainian issue from the first minute, and the Ukraine crisis received approximately 18% of his speech, which lasted 62 minutes, and included 6,494 words.

The Presidents of the United States deliver the State of the Union address based on the first paragraph of Section III of Article II of the US Constitution, which states, “The President from time to time shall give information on the State of the Union to Congress, and recommend the consideration and expeditiousness of those measures which he judges are necessary and implemented. ".

Americans should take care of Ukraine

In his speech, Biden announced that the United States would join its allies in closing American airspace to all Russian flights, "which further isolates Russia and adds additional pressure on its economy."

The US air transport authorities confirmed that the decision to close US airspace to Russian Airlines will take effect completely by the end of Wednesday.

Biden did not address the size of the sacrifices that Americans must prepare for due to the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis, nor did he explain the importance of these sacrifices to preserve Western democracies that affect the American interior.

At a time when the majority of Americans are indifferent to the Ukrainian issue with no popular desire for any US military involvement in the conflict - as all polls indicate - Biden has made clear to the American people why he should care and support the struggle of the Ukrainian people.

Putin and history lesson

Biden said, "We have learned this lesson throughout our history, when tyrants do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and continue their aggression, and the threats facing America and the world increase, and that is why NATO was created to ensure peace and stability in Europe after World War II, and the United States The United States is a member of the Council with 29 other countries, and this is one of the successes of American diplomacy.”

He explained, "Putin's war is deliberate and unjustified. He rejected diplomatic efforts to resolve this crisis. He believed that the West and NATO would not respond, and thought that he could divide us here in America. Putin was wrong. We are united and ready."

Despite the state of great division between members of Congress from both parties - which is clearly visible in the seating system of members during Biden's speech - all members stood in respect of what the US President said regarding confronting Russia and supporting Ukraine, which was not repeated while talking about internal economic and social issues.

dissatisfaction

The first State of the Union speech during Biden's era came to present an account of the performance of his economic management during the first year in office, in light of the American popular dissatisfaction with his economic policies, with which prices and inflation rates rose to the highest rates during the past four decades.

Biden pledged to work to reduce the effects of the Ukraine crisis on the global energy market, which in turn affects fuel prices for American consumers.

"America will lead this effort and release 30 million barrels of our strategic oil reserves, and we are prepared to do more if necessary," the US president said.

The speech came at a time when 30% of Americans believe that their country is heading in the right direction, compared to a majority of more than 60% saying that America is heading in the wrong direction.

Economy numbers

The US President did not hesitate to repeat what he considers economic achievements, pointing to the creation of more than 6.5 million new jobs last year alone, which is the most year in which more jobs are created in American history.

Biden praised the growth of the American economy at a rate of 5.7% last year, the strongest growth in nearly 40 years, and pledged to repair the dilapidated American infrastructure that pushed America to retreat to the 13th place in the world after it was at the top for decades.

He asserted that he had a better plan to fight inflation by lowering the cost of living, not cutting wages, and making more cars and semiconductors in America.

"We invest in more infrastructure and innovation here in America, that goods move faster and cheaper in America, and let's create more jobs where you can earn a good living in America, and instead of relying on foreign supply chains let's make it in America," Biden added. That's what I call increasing the productive capacity of our economy, and I call it building a better America."