Ahead of the 1st Anniversary of the War... Putin "All the West's Fault" VS Biden "Cowardly Desire" (Summary)

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Seulgina Jo] "Putin's cowardly desire for power and territory will fail. (U.S. President Joe Biden)"

"The West started the war. (Russian President Vladimir Putin)"

On the 21st (local time), the leaders of the United States and Russia blamed each other for the year-long ongoing Ukraine war and declared their determination never to back down. After President Putin announced the suspension of participation in the nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S. in his first state of the nation address since the outbreak of the war, President Biden immediately reaffirmed support for Ukraine in a speech held in Poland, delivering another strong warning message.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

◆Biden: "There Will Never Be a Russian Victory"

In a speech held at the Kubiki Arcade in the garden of the Royal Castle in Poland that afternoon, President Biden criticized President Putin, stating, "There will never be a Russian victory in the Ukraine war." He emphasized, "Our support for Ukraine will not waver," adding, "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will not be divided, and we will not tire."

The speech came the day after President Biden made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, declaring, "Putin's war of conquest is failing. We reaffirm our unwavering and unyielding commitment to Ukraine's democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity." Especially, the speech took on a rebuttal character as Biden spoke just hours after President Putin's state of the nation address, which blamed the West for the war. The New York Times (NYT) noted this as "an unprecedented moment where two leaders standing on opposite sides of the world order confront each other directly ahead of the one-year mark of the war's outbreak."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

President Biden directly criticized President Putin, who decided to invade Ukraine. He defined this war as "Putin's cowardly desire," saying, "Putin underestimated Ukraine." He also accused President Putin of committing large-scale inhumane atrocities in Ukraine and urged the world to stand against them. Furthermore, President Biden emphasized that the Ukraine war is not only a test for Ukraine but also for democratic countries, stating, "The world's democracies will defend freedom today, tomorrow, and forever."

Regarding President Putin's earlier state of the nation address, Biden dismissed it by saying, "The U.S. and Europe do not seek to destroy Russia, nor are they plotting to attack." In his address in Moscow, President Putin claimed, "The West started the war, and we used force to stop it," and "The West is trying to escalate a regional conflict into a global one."

This speech, following the surprise visit to Ukraine, is interpreted as reaffirming the U.S.'s firm defense commitment to Ukraine while showcasing the solidity of the Western security alliance. Amid growing security concerns in Eastern Europe due to the prolonged war, it conveyed a strong defense pledge to NATO member countries. The day before, President Biden made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, held a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and delivered plans for an additional $500 million military aid package.

◆Putin Blames the West for the War... Announces Suspension of New START

The public verbal exchange between the U.S. and Russian leaders on the day before the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine war outbreak highlights the differing perspectives each side holds regarding the war. Blaming the other side for the war is a representative example. The NYT said, "They fundamentally present different pictures of Ukraine."

On this day, President Putin accused the West, including the U.S., saying, "The West is trying to escalate a regional conflict into a global conflict," and "The responsibility for the escalation in Ukraine lies with the Western elites." He also claimed that although Russia is going through a difficult and decisive period, "the majority of the people support our operations to defend Donbas. It is impossible to defeat us."

For President Putin, this first state of the nation address since the outbreak of the war appears to be an attempt to soothe public unrest caused by the prolonged conflict while emphasizing the justification for the use of force. His remarks hinting at nuclear tests are also read as a stern warning that Russia will not back down.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

President Putin announced the suspension of participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the U.S. New START, signed in 2010, is a treaty in which the U.S. and Russia agree to reduce their nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550 each and their nuclear delivery vehicles to no more than 1,500 each, with mutual periodic inspections of nuclear facilities. He also said, "If the U.S. conducts nuclear tests, we will do the same," adding, "The Ministry of Defense and (state nuclear company) Rosatom must prepare for this."

The two leaders also clashed over economic sanctions. President Putin said, "The West has not defeated our economy; rather, it has caused inflation," and "Russia's economy is more resilient than they think." On the other hand, President Biden forecasted that the West would announce additional sanctions later this week. On the same day, major foreign media reported that the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers would meet on the 23rd to discuss additional sanctions against Russia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.