American President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin will “pay a price” for invading Ukraine in his State of the Union Address Tuesday night. Biden appeared before the traditional joint session of the United States Congress. He called the war in Ukraine “premeditated and unprovoked.” He said Putin “rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.” “Putin was wrong. We were ready,” he added. The president praised Ukrainians for their fearlessness, courage, and determination. He said, “Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees, teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland.” “Please rise if you are able and show that, Yes, we the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people,” he added. Biden spoke to people watching television around the world at a time when Russian missiles are targeting Ukrainian cities. A 64-kilometer-long line of hundreds of Russian tanks and vehicles were reportedly heading toward Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. The U.S. president also spoke earlier in the day with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who called the Russian attack “state terrorism.” Biden announced a ban on all Russian aircraft in U.S. airspace to standing applause from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The move is the latest in a series of economic measures, or sanctions, from the United States and European allies to punish Russia.
