Biden speech today: President wants Russia removed from G20, hopes to visit refugees
Biden says Ukraine should attend G20 meetings if efforts to expel Russia unsuccessful
Joe Biden wants Russia removed from the G20, but stressed that it is the organisation’s decision adding that an alternative would be for Ukraine to attend as an observer.
Mr Biden was speaking at a press conference at Nato Headquarters following meetings with leaders of both the alliance and the G7 in an extraordinary day of summits in Brussels over the invasion of Ukraine.
The president said he warned China not to help Russia or risk its economy; there would be an appropriate response to the use of chemical weapons; and that he will likely be visiting refugees at the Polish border.
Mr Biden is now meeting with the European Council in a day focussed on allied unity.
Thursday’s meetings are to coordinate with Nato allies on military assistance for Ukraine, new sanctions on Russia, and the boosting of defences in Eastern Europe. The US has also now officially accused Russian forces of war crimes in Ukraine.
At home, the latest polling shows the majority of Americans want the president to take a tougher stance on Russia, while his approval rating remains unchanged since the beginning of the conflict in Europe.
Majority of American’s disapprove of Biden’s handling of economy
A new poll has suggested that a majority of Americans (65 per cent) disapprove of Joe Biden’s handling of the US economy, as his approval rating dropped to a new record low of 40 per cent on Thursday.
According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center, a majority of respondents did not blame him for higher gas prices because it was something out of his control but believed that his policies are hurting the economy.
Almost 55 per cent of people did not blame Mr Biden for the higher than usual gas prices while 44 per cent said he was to be blamed.
About 48 per cent people said his policies are hurting the US economy rather than helping it, as compared to 24 per cent who supported him on this front.
The polls come as Americans are coping with higher food and energy costs along with the lasting fallout of last year’s Covid surge.
Shweta Sharma25 March 2022 05:05
Biden: Ukraine should be able to attend G20 meetings if US efforts to expel Russia are unsuccessful
President Joe Biden has called for Ukraine to be welcomed at future G20 summits should US attempts to expel Russia be unsuccessful.
After meeting with European allies on Thursday in Brussels, Mr Biden told a press conference it was time to step up efforts to isolate Russia from the international community.
He said if G20 member countries blocked his request to remove Russia, then Ukraine should be invited to attend the meetings.
Oliver O’Connell25 March 2022 04:45
Biden says he will be ‘fortunate’ to face Trump in 2024
Dismissing the challenge posed by a potential rematch with Donald Trump in 2024 presidential elections, Joe Biden said he would be “very fortunate” to run against the former president.
“I don’t criticise anybody for asking that question. But the next election — I’d be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me,” Mr Biden told reporters, while attending the Nato and G7 summit in Brussels, referring to Trump.
This comes as a recent poll by the Wall Street Journal revealed that a majority of registered voters said that they do not believe that Mr Biden will run a second term. The poll found less than 1 in 3 respondents expect him to run again.
But Mr Biden said he is focused on upcoming mid-term elections.
“So, we’re a long way off in elections, a long way off. My focus of any election is on making sure that we retain the House and the United States Senate so that I have the room to continue to do the things that I’ve been able to do, in terms of grow the economy and deal in a rational way with American foreign policy and be the leader of the free world,” Mr Biden said.
The president will be 81 by Election Day in 2024, and has seen his approval rating drop to a new record low amid speculation that he will not run for a second term.
Shweta Sharma25 March 2022 04:38
Biden to visit Poland on Friday
Joe Biden will likely visit a Polish town about 80km (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border as Russia continues its bombardment on cities of the war-torn country.
The White House said that the president will leave for a bilateral meeting with Polish president Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
Mr Biden will receive a briefing from officials on how Poland is coping with several million Ukrainian refugees who have fled their towns to escape Russian assault.
Mr Biden is also expected to meet refugees of the war.
Shweta Sharma25 March 2022 04:30
ICYMI: US officially accuses Russian forces of war crimes in Ukraine
The US government has officially accused Russian military forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that Vladimir Putin has “unleashed unrelenting violence…
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