Washington:US President Joe Biden, his popularity rating sagging at 40 per cent, sought to unite the Americans asking them to come together against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody military onslaught against Ukraine, winning bipartisan applause. In his first State of the Union address where he touched on a multitude of issues, Biden spent the first 15 minutes talking about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24 and which has transfixed the world. There was a fleeting moment of bipartisan unity in the Capitol on Tuesday night as Biden sought to excoriate Russian President Vladimir Putin and rally the nation in support of war-torn Ukraine, CNN reported. At a time when Biden’s administration is facing a number of challenges both on the domestic and foreign fronts, he got applause from the across party lines as he said that his country and its people were “strong” and they stood by Ukrainians. Biden began his address by displaying solidarity with the Ukrainian people. He received a bipartisan standing ovation as he called on members of Congress to stand in the House chamber in a show of solidarity. Ukraine Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, was one of First Lady Jill Biden’s guests and she stood up holding her country’s flag. Several members of Congress wore blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. “Let each of us here tonight in this chamber, if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” the 46th US President said. Biden also underscored unity against Russia within the US and among its allies. He celebrated the impact sanctions will have on “Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime no more”. He also asserted that “Russia’s economy is reeling and Putin alone is to blame”. Biden also outlined his plan to emerge from the pandemic, calling for a bipartisan “reset” from the polarization of the last two years as the nation begins the return to normal, CNN reported. “We have lost so much to Covid-19. Time with one another. And worst of all, much loss of life. Let’s use this moment to reset, stop looking at Covid-19 as a partisan dividing line. See it for what it is: A God-awful disease. Let’s stop seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we are: Fellow Americans.” Biden also noted that the US has tools needed to “end the shutdown” of schools and businesses, suggesting Americans can safely go back to the workplace. For the first time ever, two women — Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — sat behind the President during the State of the Union address. Ending on a strong note, Biden reassured the American people: “The state of the union is strong, because you, the American people, are strong.” UNI ING MR
