The American president, Joe Biden, harshly attacks his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, calling him "a dictator" who "has to pay", because the war against Ukraine was "premeditated and unprovoked". In his prime State of the Union address, the White House number one could not have been more direct about the war in Ukraine: “Throughout our history – he said – we have learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world continue to mount."
Biden's internal problems
The rhetoric of war also serves Biden to relaunch his popularity, which travels to historic lows due to the failure of domestic policies on the economic and social side and the simultaneous surge in inflation. With an approval rating of less than 40%, the American president needs to rally the country against an enemy ahead of this year's midterm elections, which do not bode well for Democrats.
“Putin thought we wouldn't answer: he was wrong”
“That is why NATO was created – Biden said again – to guarantee peace and stability in Europe after the Second World War. The US is a member along with 29 other nations. And American diplomacy matters. Putin's war was premeditated and unprovoked. He has rejected the negotiating efforts. He thought that the West and NATO would not respond. And he thought he could split us up here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready."
Biden: against inflation we increase production and lower costs
As for the main problem on the domestic front, which is inflation, the President said the United States has a choice: “One way to fight rising prices is to lower wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan: reduce costs, not wages. Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation. More goods moving faster and cheaper. More jobs where you can make a living. And, instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let's do it in America. Economists call it increasing the productive capacity of our economy. I call it building a better America. My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit”.
