Joe Biden spoke to troops with the 82nd Airborne in Poland Friday, telling them what to expect to see when they go to Ukraine. Biden also appears to have let slip that some troops have already been in Ukraine. The White House later clarified there has been no change in U.S. policy about not sending troops to Ukraine. Who to believe, Biden or his handlers?
“The Ukrainian people, Ukrainian people have a lot of backbone, they have a lot of guts. And I’m sure you’re observing it. And I don’t mean just the military which is, we’ve been training since back when they uh, Russia moved into the southeast, southeast um, Ukraine. But also the average citizen. Look at how they’re stepping up. Look at how they’re stepping up. And you’re gonna see when you’re there, and some of you have been there, you’re gonna see, you’re gonna see women, young people standing, standing in the middle, in front of damn tank just, just saying, “I’m not leaving, I’m holding my ground.” They’re incredible. But they take a lot of inspiration from us. And you know, woman who just died, the secretary of State used to have an expression, she said, “we are the essential nation.” It sounds like a bit of uh, hyperbole but the truth of the matter is you are the organizational principle around which the rest of the world, the free world is moving.” Transcribed by TGP.
Note: In addition to not remembering her name, Biden misquoted the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She said in 1998, “Let me say that we are doing everything possible so that American men and women in uniform do not have to go out there again. It is the threat of the use of force and our line-up there that is going to put force behind the diplomacy. But if we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future, and we see the danger here to all of us. I know that the American men and women in uniform are always prepared to sacrifice for freedom, democracy and the American way of life.”
Shorter version:
The White House clarified: “UPDATE: A @WhiteHouse spokesperson tells me: “The President has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position.”