“History will judge harshly those who fail to answer freedom’s call,” said President Joe Biden Friday, following Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of its invasion in early 2022.
Biden has been calling on lawmakers to approve more aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight off the Russian invasion, but Republicans have opposed the measure. This week, the Department of Defense announced that it said might be the last aid package to Ukraine’s military.
Then came Russia’s latest attack.
“This massive bombardment used drones and missiles, including missiles with hypersonic capability, to strike cities and civilian infrastructure all across Ukraine,” said Biden. “Strikes reportedly hit a maternity hospital, a shopping mall, and residential areas – killing innocent people and injuring dozens more. It is a stark reminder to the world that, after nearly two years of this devastating war, Putin’s objective remains unchanged. He seeks to obliterate Ukraine and subjugate its people. He must be stopped.”
He said that Ukraine deployed the air defense systems supplied by the U.S. to counter the attack.
“The American people can be proud of the lives we have helped to save and the support we have given Ukraine as it defends its people, its freedom, and its independence,” the president remarked. “But unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs to protect its people. Congress must step up and act without any further delay.”
His call to action comes as war also rages in the Middle East. There, Israel declared war on the Iran-funded terrorist organization Hamas after the it carried out a large-scale attack on civilians and took hostages. Since the war started, the U.S. has provided aid to Israel, but some in the international community – including the United Nations – have shed light on the humanitarian crisis there as Palestinian civilians remain trapped in Gaza.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs reported on increased tensions in the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas war continues.
“Marwan Muasher, Vice President at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Itay Epshtain, Special Advisor at the Norwegian Refugee Council also briefed ambassadors, raising alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the potential of spillover of the conflict,” said the UN. Recently, the U.S. fired back after Hezbollah, another Iran-funded terrorist organization, conducted an attack that injured three U.S. servicemembers.
As for the war in Ukraine, Biden said the stakes extend far beyond that nation’s borders.
“They affect the entirety of the NATO Alliance, the security of Europe, and the future of the Transatlantic relationship,” said Biden. “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has not just attempted to destroy Ukraine; he has threatened some of our NATO Allies as well. When dictators and autocrats are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk rises that the United States gets pulled in directly. And the consequences reverberate around the world. That’s why the United States has rallied a coalition of more than 50 countries to support the defense of Ukraine. We cannot let our allies and partners down. We cannot let Ukraine down.”
