The State of the Union address by President Biden was criticized by a member of the Ukrainian Parliament. He called for the United States to help Ukraine defend its airspace against Russian attacks and urged the United States and its allies. Oleksandra Ustinova said to America’s Newsroom that they don’t need American soldiers to fight with them.
Ustinova specifically referred to Biden declaring that U.S. troops would not engage directly in the Russia-Ukraine war, but will instead defend NATO allies in case Putin “decides” to move west.
Biden addressed Putin’s multifront war against Ukraine. Biden also praised Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership and said that the courage shown by the Ukrainian people “inspires” the world.
Biden addressed the economic sanctions that the United States and its allies have placed on Russia. This included efforts to reduce Russia’s largest banks as well as the international financial system. He also prevented Russia’s central banking from protecting the Russian ruble.
Biden stated that they are choking Russia’s access to technology which will sap its economic power and weaken its army for years to come.
Ustinova stated that Ukraine had been promised protection by Europe after giving up its nuclear weapons in the 1990s, but is not receiving sufficient support. Ustinova stated that Putin wants to kill as many Ukrainians as possible, so we will negotiate.
She claimed that sanctions imposed by the United States and other nations are not effective as they don’t include the energy sector which is Putin’s main source of financing. She demanded a “total ban” on all banks that work with Putin and “sanctions of every bank that does business with them.”
Hemmer asked her if she believed that all major cities in Ukraine would be “levelled” over the next weeks and months.
