President Joe Biden continued to escalate his war rhetoric against Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
“This war could continue for a long time, but the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom,” Biden said.
The president spoke about the ongoing conflict during a speech at a North America’s Building Trades Unions conference in Washington, DC, detailing the military assistance he continued to provide Ukraine.
“And by the way, if I’ve gotta go to war, I’m going with you guys. I mean it,” he said as the audience cheered.
The president reacted angrily to the new graphic images coming out of Ukraine after Russia left areas such as Bucha showing dead civilians.
“Bodies left in streets as Russian troops withdrew, some shot in the back of their head with their hands tied behind their backs, civilians executed in cold blood,” he said.
“Bodies dumped into mass graves,” he continued, describing the scene in Ukraine. “A sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see unapologetically.”
Biden said Russia was guilty of “nothing less than major war crimes.”
“Responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable,” he said.
The president trumpeted a new set of sanctions announced on Wednesday, promising to “ratchet up the pain for Putin.”
He appeared frustrated that members of congress were questioning his commitment to Ukraine’s defense, citing a moment of testimony on Capitol Hill from his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“What the hell you think we’ve done, why do you think they’ve been able to fight?” he said, paraphrasing Austin’s response. “We’ve trained them and given them the weapons that’s what happening.”
Biden said on Tuesday he signed additional releases of weapons to Ukraine to help them fight Russia, admitting he was quietly providing them more assistance than was visible.
“We won’t be able to advertise every piece of security we give because our allies and partners are supplying to Ukraine through us, but advanced weapons and ammunition are flowing in every single day,” he said.
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