Russian President Vladimir Putin will not intimidate or scare off the U.S. and its allies from helping Ukraine, President Biden said Friday after Putin held a ceremony declaring an annexation of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine, the U.S., many Western allies and the United Nations have all denounced Russia's move as a violation of Ukrainian and international law.
“America and its allies are not going to be intimidated by Putin and his reckless words and threats. He’s not going to scare us or intimidate us,” Biden said.
Calling Putin’s annexation ceremony in the Kremlin a “sham routine,” Biden committed to providing Ukraine with military aid and reinforced NATO’s pledge to “to defend every single inch of NATO territory. Every single inch.”
Biden also suggested that recent explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines
that run under the Baltic Sea, was “a deliberate act of sabotage” and accused Putin of “pumping out disinformation and lies."
Experts have pointed to Putin and Russia as the main suspect behind the attacks. ... Read more here
Meanwhile, President Biden indicated Friday that officials are still trying to assess the destruction from Hurricane Ian in Florida and continued threats from the storm as it moves up the coastline to the Carolinas.
During a briefing, where he also discussed Putin's latest move, Biden said it would take “years” to rebuild following the devastating storm.
“You’ve all seen on television, homes and property wiped out. It’s going to take months and years to rebuild. And our hearts go out to all those folks whose lives have been absolutely devastated by the storm. America’s heart is literally breaking,” Biden said. ... Read more here
