President Joe Biden delivered a speech in Poland after a surprise visit to Ukraine and accused Russia of “crimes against humanity.”
The speech followed inflammatory statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin about Western countries Monday.
“They have committed depravity, crimes against humanity without shame or compunction,” Biden said, per The Washington Post.
What did Biden say in Poland, Ukraine?
Biden reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine declaring “Kyiv stands strong.”
“Autocrats only understand one word: no.” Biden said, per The Guardian. “No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future. I’ll repeat tonight what I said last year at the same place. A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never be able to ease the people’s love of liberties. Brutality will never grind down the will of the free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, never.”
On Monday, Biden became the first sitting president to visit Ukraine since George W. Bush visited in 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported.
During the visit to Kyiv, strong security protocols were followed to keep the president safe in an active war zone.
What did Putin say about the West?
On Tuesday morning, Putin took aim at the West, announcing Russia would suspend its nuclear-arms-control treaty with the U.S. and Russia and promised a continuing war in Ukraine until he achieves his objectives in invading in the first place.
He claimed the West is responsible for the conflict in Ukraine. “It was they who unleashed this war. We are using force to stop the war. (The West) is using Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia.”
Putin made the statement during a state of the nation address to Russia’s federal legislature.
Some experts expressed concern that what Putin said is a warning to the U.S., depending on what happens with the arms treaties.
“If Washington does not listen to Moscow now, this is Putin’s warning that he may withdraw (altogether) from the treaty,” Sergei Markov, director of pro-Kremlin Institute for Political Studies, told the WSJ. “In a few years, there could be a colossal change that would catastrophically reduce U.S. nuclear security. Russia will move from single warhead nuclear missiles to rockets with multiple warheads.”
Biden responded to the strong words from Russia with a strong message of his own.
“This war is never a necessity. It’s a tragedy. President Putin chose this war. Every day the war continues is his choice. He could end the war with a word. It’s simple. Russia stops invading Ukraine, it would end the war. If Ukraine stopped defending itself against Russia, it would be the end of Ukraine. That’s why together, we’re making sure Ukraine can defend itself,” Biden said.