In UN speech, Biden calls for collective action on Ukraine and other major crises

President Joe Biden sought to rally the world on Tuesday to stick with Ukraine and warned against appeasing Moscow in a way that would reward its aggression and encourage the further use of force to redraw the global map.

Biden used his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly to try to counter war fatigue at home and abroad even as House Republicans in Washington hold up further military aid to Ukraine and nations around the globe remain on the sidelines or even facilitate the Kremlin’s war.

“Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence,” Biden said as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine watched from the audience. “But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles” of the U.N. Charter “to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? I respectfully suggest the answer is no.”

“We have to stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Biden continued. “That’s 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.”

Zelenskyy offered his own stirring speech not long afterward, arguing to the assembled leaders and diplomats that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine was a war against all of their nations as well. He accused Moscow of weaponizing food, energy and even children with dire effects not just in his country but in far-flung corners of the world.

“The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our land, our people, our lives, our resources into a weapon against you, against the international rules-based order,” Zelenskyy said.

He dismissed efforts to broker a peace deal without Ukraine’s involvement.

Biden mentioned a litany of other major issues confronting the world today, like fentanyl abuse, artificial intelligence, terrorism, human rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights and arms control, without breaking much new ground on any of them. He stressed the dangers of climate change as he urged more action to combat it, citing heat waves, wildfires, drought and the flooding in Libya.