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President Joe Biden defended his legacy in his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly and talked about his painful decision to step down from office. But he also looked to the future as he issued a stern warning about a war in the Middle East and pushed for continued support for Ukraine. He sounded wistful when he talked about his decision to step down as leader of the free world.
‘This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honor of my life. There’s so much more I want to get done,’ he said. ‘As much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided, after 50 years of public service, it’s time for new generation of leadership to take my nation forward.’
‘My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power. It’s your people that matter the most. Never forget we are here to serve the people, not the other way around.’ The UN body, which included leaders like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , gave him sustained applause. Biden began his remarks by acknowledging the solemn moment.
‘Today is the fourth time I’ve had the great honor of speaking to this assembly as president of the United States. It will be my last,’ he said. He began his nearly 25-minute speech by defendeing his actions in the U.S. exit from Afghanistan, where 13 Americans were killed and discussed the world’s recovering from the COVID pandemic. He also reflected on his years of public service, talking about the events he’s witnessed: The war in Vietnam and September 11th attacks among them.
He then turned to the future, calling for peace in the Middle East. ‘Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza, free of Hamas grip ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war. October 7,’ he said. ‘Since October 7, we’ve also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region,’ he said.
His warning came as Israel expanded its aerial assaults on Lebanon with airstrikes Monday that killed nearly 500 people, wounded over 1,600 more and appeared to signal the start of a broader military campaign. Israel said it was targeting ‘terrorists’ linked to Hezbollah, the group that has been firing rockets into Israel. ‘Our task, our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart,’ Biden said. ‘I truly believe we’re in another inflection point of world history. For the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come.’
The president also doubled down on his support for Ukraine. He delivered his speech under the shadow of the presidential race. His vice president, Kamala Harris, is expected to keep many of his foreign policy initiatives. But there are concerns about U.S. support for the war in Ukraine should Donald Trump win. Biden and Harris will hold separate meetings at the White House on Thursday with Zelensky.
But the president told the UN body that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘has failed’ in his pursuit of Ukraine. ‘Putin’s war has failed at his core aim,’ he said. ‘But we cannot let up. The world now has another choice to make: will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win? …. I know my answer. We cannot grow weary. We cannot look away and we will not let up our support for Ukraine.’
The U.N. Security Council will convene a session Tuesday on Ukraine. Zelensky is expected to share a new peace proposal and an appeal for more military support to launch strikes deeper into Russia. Biden, who has argued for democracy and described Trump as a threat to it, also issued a broad warning against dictators.
‘We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of AI will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles,’ he said. He did not mention his Republican rival by name. After he finished his remarks, as the leaders applauded him, Biden touched his hand to his heart and walked away from the lectern.
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