Biden Pokes Putin, Takes Aim At Iran, China In Farewell State Dept Address

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday in a farewell foreign policy address mocked Russia's Vladimir Putin over the progress of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.  “When Putin invaded, he thought he’d conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. The truth is, since that war began I’m the only one that stood in the center of Kyiv, not him,” Biden said at the State Department. TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The outgoing President went on to add that the United States and its allies “can’t walk away” from Ukraine, to which Washington has sent billions of dollars in military aid since the war started in 2022, and it has organized a 50-nation coalition to counter Putin, he said, and most members of NATO are now spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. "Our alliances are stronger than they've been in decades. NATO is more capable than it's ever been".

Biden in his remarks made a case that his policy made America stronger and more resilient on the global stage than it had been for decades, in the face of active conflicts that remain unresolved,

"Compared to four years ago, America is stronger," he declared at the State Department as diplomats gave him a standing ovation. "Our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen," he added.

Biden's remarks came just as his administration prepares to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Donald Trump a week from now, who has signaled plans to shift the U.S. away from relying on multilateral groupings that he says puts America first.

Biden however suggested that the next administration should take full advantage of the diplomatic and geopolitical opportunities it's being handed over: To "keep bringing countries together to deal with challenges posed by China"; to "make sure Putin’s war ends in a way that ensures a just peace for Ukraine", and to "capitalize on a new moment for a more stable and integrated Middle East," as he put it.

Biden also took aim at China and Iran, saying that Tehran's air defenses are in “shambles,” their economy is “desperate straits, and their main proxy, Hezbollah, “is badly wounded,” he said. "There’s no question, our actions contributed significantly.”

As for China, Biden insisted that it would "never surpass us" and that the U.S. would remain the world's dominant superpower. "According to the latest predictions, on China's current course they will never surpass us – period," he said.

He went on to conclude that Washington managed its complex ties with Beijing and that the relationship "never tipped over into conflict" in his four years as president.