WASHINGTON – Using the worlds stage, President Joe Biden voiced the Unites States’ strong support for the people of Ukraine and tough action that has been and will be taken against Russia during his first State of the Union address.
War talks were balanced with challenges here at home like the ongoing pandemic and record inflation.
With economic sanctions already in place, the president announced a ban on Russian flights in U.S. airspace while emphasizing American troops will not fight in Ukraine.
“He has no idea what’s coming,” said Biden. “He badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over.”
Inna Payne, a native of Ukraine who now lives in the Roanoke Valley, spoke to 10 News Tuesday saying Ukrainians are thankful for what the President has done but are hoping for more action.
“I am asking, begging for NATO countries,” said Payne. “Please help save Ukrainians’ lives.”
Biden emphasized that U.S. troops will not fight in Ukraine.
[WATCH: 10 News Political Analyst breaks down President Biden’s State of the Union address]
“The reason it is not a fight or war but a genocide is because those Ukrainian people…it’s not a fair fight,” stated Anna Miroshnychenko, a native Ukrainian living in the Roanoke Valley.
“Weakness on the world stage has a cost, and the president’s approach to foreign policy has consistently been too little too late,” said Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds during the GOP response Tuesday night.
On other fronts, the president spoke on challenges here at home like the ongoing pandemic and record inflation.
He said, “stop looking at COVID as a partisan dividing line. See it for what it is: a God, God awful disease.”
“Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel,” said the president. “I get it.”
“Economic growth, job growth, wage and salary growth. Those three things come with another challenge which is price growth and inflation,” explained Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. “That’s causing tough times for American families.”
Congressman Morgan Griffith said in a statement:
“President Biden offered more of the same tonight - the same policies that produced record inflation, lost control of the border, and failed to deter Russian aggression. The State of the Union won’t improve without a course correction.”
Rep. Ben Cline released a statement as well. It reads:
“In tonight’s State of the Union address, I had hoped that President Biden would offer real solutions to the problems that are facing working families across this Nation. Unfortunately, what we heard was a laundry list of failed liberal proposals that are little more than an uninspiring effort to turn around his sagging poll numbers. Worse yet, President Biden refused to acknowledge that the problems of soaring inflation, skyrocketing gas prices, record illegal immigration, and exploding crime in our cities are largely due to his own liberal policies. Tragically, the President also failed to acknowledge his flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of thirteen brave Americans, an egregious omission that ignored the sacrifices of these men and women in uniform. I am honored to represent the people of Virginia’s Sixth District, and as their representative, I will continue to fight for the values that make our part of Virginia such a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”