President Biden on Tuesday called on United Nation members to stand up to “naked aggression” against Ukraine by Russia, arguing that if Ukraine was not protected, no nation would feel protected.
“Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence. But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state feel confident that they are protected if we allow Ukraine to be carved up? Is the independence of any nation secure?” he said.
“The answer is no. We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” he added. “That is why the United States together with our Allies and partners around the world will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity — and their freedom.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) speaks at the announcement of the G7 nations’ joint declaration for the support of Ukraine as U.S. President Joe Biden looks on on July 12, 2023, in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Biden’s argument, delivered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, comes as the administration is asking Congress to approve $24 billion more for Ukraine before the end of the year, to bring the total aid to Ukraine to $135 billion since the beginning of the war in February 2022.
Biden’s argument also comes amid rising opposition in the U.S. to more support for Ukraine, which Biden has promised for “as long as it takes.”
A CNN poll in August showed that a majority of Americans oppose more U.S. aid for Ukraine, with the issue becoming more polarized over time. In addition, a much-vaunted counter-offensive fueled by Western support and training has not materialized into breakthrough successes for Ukraine.
Ukrainian military practice assault tactics at a military training area before the counteroffensive operation during Russia’s war against Ukraine on March 22, 2023, in Ukraine. (Dmytro Larin/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
According to the Washington Post, “A long-awaited Ukrainian military counteroffensive against Russia has made less progress than its allies had hoped, adding to the sense that the war is turning into a long slog without a clear endpoint.”
Earlier this month, a Wall Street Journal poll showed a majority of American voters disapproved of Biden’s handling of Ukraine. A plurality of voters said too much was being done to help Ukraine, at 38 percent. Thirty-one percent said it was the “right amount,” and 22 percent said not enough was being done.
The poll showed that 52 percent of voters disapprove of the Biden’s handling of Ukraine, a rise since March 22, when 46 percent disapproved. The poll did not specify what about his handling they disapproved of.
WATCH — WATCH: Demonstration of the Devastating Cluster Bombs Biden Is Sending to Ukraine:
Nellis Air Force Base via Storyful
A plurality of voters said too much was being done to help Ukraine, at 38 percent. Thirty-one percent said it was the “right amount,” and 22 percent said not enough was being done.
Biden called supporting Ukraine “not only an investment in Ukraine’s future, but in the future of every country that seeks a world governed by basic rules that apply equally to all nations and uphold the rights of every nation, no matter how big or small.”
So far, the U.S. Congress has committed $113 billion to Ukraine.
In July, Biden boasted that the U.S. has given more to Ukraine than any other nation combined, saying “I think we’ve given more than any other nation combined in terms of assistance and cost and the American people are supportive. They’re supportive, because they know it’s about you, it’s about more than you, it’s about innocent people around the world, and the absolute brutality with which Putin is acting and the Russians are moving on, it’s like something out of the 14th Century, the way they’re acting.”
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