Biden rallies Americans to defeat Hamas, Putin
The US should not let terrorists and tyrants win, according to the president.
Daily TribuneThe US should not let terrorists and tyrants win, according to the president.
US President Joe Biden (AFP File Photo)
UNITED States President Joe Biden on Thursday rallied Americans to support Israel and Ukraine to defeat terrorists and tyrants that threaten the US and other democratic countries.
In his national address from the Oval Office in the White House, the 80-year-old Biden said that defeating Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a vital US interest.
Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin "represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy," he warned.
"We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win. I refuse to let that happen."
He added that "if we don't stop Putin's appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he won't limit himself just to Ukraine."
The 15-minute speech was also a call to Americans to overcome deep political divisions as Biden said he would make an "urgent" request to Congress on Friday for funding to help Ukraine recover land annexed by Russia and Israel fight Hamas for killing about 1,400 mostly civilian Israelis in a daring and brutal attack on 7 October.
The White House is said to be teeing up a huge request to Congress for a package of more than $100 billion, including $60 billion for weapons for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, the New York Times reported.
The request also includes $7 billion in security assistance for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region to counter threats from China, $14 billion for security on the southern US border with Mexico and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for conflict zones, it said.
