The US will not send its soldiers to Ukraine, Acting President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address.
"In fact, there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine. And I am determined to keep it that way," Biden said. But he lamented that funds for Kiev were being blocked by those US politicians "who want us to walk away from our leadership in the world.
He also criticized Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy, which resulted in the US president "bowing to a Russian leader."
Biden urged Congress to pass the Ukraine funding bill immediately, calling the current situation "an unprecedented moment in the history of the Union.
Russian officials have repeatedly stressed that no amount of military aid delivered to the Kiev regime will affect the course of the special military operation, adding that Western funds and weapons only fuel the conflict and worsen the security situation.
Biden Orders to Build Temporary Port in Gaza
Joe Biden ordered the construction of a hub on the Gaza coast in the Mediterranean Sea to provide "humanitarian aid" to Palestinians.
“Tonight, I'm directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters,” Biden stated.
He added that while he sees no alternative to a two-state solution, he believes Israel is free to hunt down Hamas.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier slammed US for vetoing ceasefire resolutions in the Gaza crisis.
Commenting on the Red Sea crisis, Biden vowed to defend US citizens and citizens of allied nations from Houthi attacks in Yemen. The Houthi military organization has vowed to attack all ships with any connection to Israel in the wake of the violence in the Gaza Strip.
“I've ordered strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities and defend US Forces in the region. As Commander in Chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and military personnel”, he said.
Russia slammed the anti-Houthi operation as a "complete disregard for international law" by Western countries "for their own destructive purposes."
‘Embarrassment to Our Country’
US presidential candidate Donald Trump said Biden's speech may have been "the angriest, least compassionate and worst State of the Union ever," adding that the POTUS' words were "an embarrassment to our country!"
Earlier in the day, Trump expressed concern that the world may not survive until Biden is finally forced out of office.