Biden’s remarks come as his term as president comes to an end and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its third year.
Biden reflected on his foreign policy record, including his role in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, one week before US President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on Jan. 20. The president defending his administration’s policies and said they prevented Putin from reaching his goals.
“When Putin invaded Ukraine, he thought he’d conquer Kyiv in a matter of days,” Biden said.
“The truth is, since that war began I’m the only one that stood in the center of Kyiv, not him, Putin never has.”
Biden visited Kyiv in February 2023, becoming the only US commander-in-chief to visit a war zone not controlled by US forces.
“Putin has failed to achieve any of his strategic objectives,” Biden added.
“He has failed thus far to subjugate Ukraine, failed to break the unity of NATO, and failed to make large territorial gains. There is more to do, we can’t walk away.”
Biden praised Washington’s coalition-building and readiness to provide military aid, saying the US brought together 50 nations to stand with Ukraine and delivered “massive numbers of munitions” and other crucial assistance to Kyiv.
The address also touched on the effectiveness of US sanctions in weakening Russia’s economy.
The US has “enacted relentless unprecedented sanctions to keep Ukraine in the fight … Russia is struggling to replace what they are losing on the battlefield in terms of military equipment and fighters and the ruble is under enormous pressure,” Biden continued.
Biden echoed earlier remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stated that the White House was preparing a strong Ukraine policy foundation to hand off to the incoming Trump administration.
“(W)e laid the foundation for the next administration so they can protect the bright future of the Ukrainian people,” Biden noted.
Trump has previously criticized US military support for Ukraine and promised to negotiate an end to the war. He is reportedly in the process of planning an in-person meeting with Putin, set to take place at an unspecified time after his inauguration.
Biden has urged the US congress to continue sending aid to Ukraine even if Trump is opposed to further assistance. In a speech on Jan. 10, Biden said he did everything he could to help Ukraine during his time in office.
