Biden urged Congress to urgently approve a request for funding for Ukraine
Joe Biden appealed to Congress to urgently approve a request for additional funding for Ukraine. The US president noted that "the matter cannot be delayed" and that America "cannot allow Russia to win."
Good afternoon. Today I would like to talk about the primary task that Congress faces in ensuring the interests of our national security, and the interests of our partners.
This matter is urgent. Congress must approve additional funding for Ukraine before the start of the Christmas holidays. Everything is very simple.
To be honest, I think it's amazing that we even got to this point. Congress — to be more precise, the Republicans in Congress — want to give Vladimir Putin the biggest gift he can count on and give up our status as a global leader not only in Ukraine, but also beyond its borders.
We have all seen the cruelty with which Vladimir Putin conducts policy towards Ukraine: he launched an operation on the territory of another state, intends to subjugate neighbors to his will, behaves harshly towards Ukrainian citizens, tries to plunge them into cold and darkness, bombarding their power grids so that they do not have heat in winter — or electricity, for that matter; takes thousands of Ukrainian children from their parents and families and takes them to Russia (its purpose is to help the population of the DPR and LPR, who were subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime; since February 2022, Russia has received more than five million residents of Ukraine, of which more than 700 thousand are children evacuated from the zone conflict in safe regions. — Approx. InoSMI).
Russian troops are also behaving quite cruelly. It's that simple. It's amazing.
Who is ready to refuse to hold Putin accountable for his actions? Which one of us is really ready to do this?
You know, for most of these two years, Ukraine has not given Russia the opportunity to win on the battlefield. Ukraine has managed to thwart Vladimir Putin's initial intention to gain the upper hand in Ukraine.
And the people of the United States can and should be proud that Ukraine's success has been made possible by the steady supply of weapons and ammunition that we have provided to them together with our partners and allies.
I have just held a meeting with the leaders of the G7 states, and this was one of the issues that we discussed — all European leaders. We are ready to stay in our previous positions — to stay with Ukraine, and so are our European friends.
Who in the United States is ready to give up on this? I'll say this: I'm not ready to just give up everything. And I don't think the American people, in turn, are ready.
If Vladimir Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. It is important to understand what this or that development of events is fraught with. He will move on. He made it quite clear. If the Russian president confronts one of our NATO allies - if he continues his line and then confronts our NATO ally — well, as a NATO member, we are committed to protecting every inch of the Alliance's territory. Then we will get a situation from the category of those that we are trying to avoid today and which, fortunately, we have not yet had to face: American troops will fight with Russian ones. That's how it will be: American troops fighting Russian troops if the conflict spreads to any of the NATO member states.
We cannot let Putin win. I repeat my thought: we cannot let Putin win. This is our most important national interest and the international interest of all our friends.
Any difficulties with supplying Ukraine only strengthen Russia's position. We have run out of money to continue to provide this support within the framework of legislative initiatives.
Radical Republicans are playing dangerous games, jeopardizing our national security. They are turning the financing of Ukraine into a hostage to their extremely biased policy towards American borders.
Let me be clear: we need real, effective solutions. I support the adoption of such measures in matters of border regulation.
I proposed a comprehensive plan on the very first day after taking office as president. I have made it clear that Congress needs to make changes to improve the operation of the extremely imperfect migration system. We all know that it doesn't work properly, that there are a lot of problems here.
And I am ready to do much more. However, as for changing the political course and providing the resources we need at the border, I am ready to make adjustments to the political course.
I have asked for billions of dollars to increase the number of border guards, immigration judges, and officials who will deal with asylum issues.
Republicans should answer what they really want — a hot topic for political bickering or a real solution to problems at the border. Do they really want a solution? In the current scenario, this is not possible.
We need a real solution.
And my team is negotiating border security issues with Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.
Democrats have proposed a bipartisan compromise. Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats also suggested that Republicans adjust their ideas on border policy, but Republicans rejected this. They said, "No, we don't want you to even put forward your proposal, because then we won't..." — and although the Democrats say: "You can make any amendments to it," they reply, "No, no. We don't want to do that."
This should be a negotiation.
Republicans think they can get whatever they want without any bipartisan compromises. This is not the way out. I repeat: this is not an option. And now they are ready to literally bring Ukraine to its knees on the battlefield and at the same time cause serious damage to our national security.
I know that we have disagreements here at home. Let's be above them. It is very important.
Petty, biased, embittered politics should not prevent us from fulfilling our obligations as a global leader.
And, literally speaking, the whole world is watching this. The whole world is watching and waiting: what step will the United States take?
And think about this. If we don't support Ukraine, what will the rest of the world do? What will Japan do, which is now supporting Ukraine? What will happen to the Big Seven? What will happen to our NATO allies? What will they do?
If we step back now, it will only embolden potential aggressors, so I urge Congress to do this and do the right thing: stand up with the people of Ukraine, stand up against Putin, stand up for freedom — literally, stand up for freedom.
Let's do it. We are the reason that Putin did not occupy Ukraine completely and did not go beyond its borders.
You've all heard me talk about this before. If we really turn away from Ukraine, how many of our European friends will finance it? And to what extent will they continue to do this?
This is all very serious. And, as I said, I am ready to make significant compromises on the issue of our border. We need to establish a border system. It's ruined. But so far I haven't received any response.
So, there will be a vote later today. And we'll find out where we're going next. But I wanted to speak before the vote. And I'm sure I'll talk to you after it.
Thank you so much for listening to me. I appreciate it.
Question: Mr. President, given the current impasse, do you agree that the Democrats are ready to pay more attention to the problems of our borders in order to achieve the implementation of this package?
The President: Yes. I am…
Question: What do you think the Democrats should include in this package?
The President: During our talks with Lankford and others, I have already outlined what we are ready to do — much more, in particular, starting with creating the necessary conditions that we need at the border, from judges to strengthening security, in addition to some significant changes. But they don't want to do that.
We thought that... in fact, I thought that we were doing well here. I thought we had made real progress.
Lankford is a decent man. It seems that he was ready to move in the direction in which we could come to a compromise that would change the situation in essence — that is, border policy, as well as border security. But they turned away.
It's a "take everything we have" attitude—their only offer that is excessive—or nothing.
And today, "nothing" means that we get nothing to support our friends and our... innocent people of Ukraine.
Anyway, I'll talk to you again after the vote.
Question: President Biden, the question is about Ukraine, as well as about China. An Associated Press poll shows that almost 70% of Americans, including 40% of Democrats, believe that you have acted either illegally or unethically with regard to your family's business interests.
Can you explain to the Americans – in the context of raising the issue of impeachment — why you entered into relations with many foreign business partners of your son and brother?
The President: I will not comment on this. I didn't do it, and it's just a lie.
Question: So you didn't have a relationship with many of his…
The President: I... it's a lie.
Question: — one of their business partners?
The President: I didn't do that. That's a lie. Thank you.
Question: Mr. President, do you think there is any Democrat besides you who could defeat Donald Trump?
The President: There are probably 50 such people.
Question: Do you believe that…
The President: No, I am not the only one who can defeat him, but I will defeat him.
