President Joe Biden stumbled in a speech to American troops stationed in Poland on Friday, previewing what they would see when they got here in Ukraine.
“You’re visiting, when you’re there, and a few of you have actually been there, you’re visiting females, young people, standing in front of a damn tank just stating, ‘I’m not leaving, I’m holding my ground,'” Biden said. “They’re incredible.”
The president spoke to a small group of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Department stationed in the Polish city of Rzeszow.
Biden repeatedly discussed Ukraine to the soldiers, informing them they existed to support the Ukrainian people, even though he has repeatedly promised not to send American soldiers into the nation.
“What’s at stake, not just that what we’re doing here in Ukraine to attempt to help the Ukrainian individuals and keep the massacre from continuing,” he stated. “Beyond that, what is at stake, is what are your kids and grandkids going to appear like in regards to their freedom.”
Biden told the American soldiers they were in a generational battle against the forces of autocrats.
“What you’re participated in is much more than just whether or not you can alleviate the pain and suffering of the people of Ukraine. We remain in a brand-new phase, your generation, we remain in an inflection point,” he stated.
“You’re in the midst of a fight in between democracies and oligarchs,” he added.
The president spoke about his years of foreign policy experience traveling around the world, first as a senator and then as Vice President for previous President Barack Obama’s administration.
“The Ukrainian people have a great deal of backbone, they have a lot of guts and I’m sure you’re observing it,” he stated. “And I don’t mean simply the military, we have actually been training considering that back when Russia moved in the southeast Ukraine, however also the typical resident.”
He remembered previous Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s stating that the United States was an “important nation” to the world, and he said they served as the “organizing principle” for future generations around the world.
“Basic modification happens, the world ain’t going to be the exact same, not because of Ukraine, but we are not going to be the same 10-15 years from now in terms of our organizational structures,” he said, discussing whether democracy would prevail or autocracy.
Biden stated he had no issue purchasing another 12,000 soldiers to the Eastern flank of NATO, noting there were 100,000 American forces in Europe to strengthen their strength.
The president consistently thanked the troops, noting that what they were doing was “substantial” for the future of democracy.
“It’s not just what you’re doing to assist the Ukrainian people. It’s not only what you’re doing to assist Europe start to regain its confidence,” he stated.