Russia, Ukraine Leaders React To Biden Stepping Aside (Worthy News Radio)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/KYIV (Worthy News) – Russian and Ukrainian leaders are among European government representatives reacting to U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection. His decision has added to uncertainty in Europe, which faces its biggest armed conflict since the Second World War.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the first leaders to express gratitude for what he called Joe Biden’s “unwavering support” since Russia invaded his country in February 2022.
Writing moment after Biden announced he would not run again for president, Zelenskyy said: “We will always be thankful for President Biden’s leadership. He supported our country during the most dramatic moment in history, assisted us in preventing Putin from occupying our country, and has continued to support us throughout this terrible war.”
In March, Biden asserted that Kyiv could prevail against Moscow if the U.S. continued to stand with Ukraine “and provide the weapons it needs to defend the region and the region itself,” but stopping short of deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine.
With President Donald J. Trump leading the polls ahead of the presidential elections, it was unclear when and if those military commitments would continue.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were still four months until the elections, which he said is “a long period during which a lot can change.”
RUSSIA WARNINGS
Peskov warned, however, that while Russia patiently and carefully monitors what happens next in the United States, Moscow’s priority is achieving the goals of what he called the special military operation, not the results of the elections in the U.S.
Yet Biden’s “difficult” decision to leave was acknowledged by Polish President Donald Tusk and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala as driven by the larger interest of the U.S.
In separate statements, they both made clear that it was likely one of Biden’s most difficult decisions, which made it all the more valuable.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed, saying: “I respect President Biden’s decision, and I look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency.”
Tourists in London agreed. “I have a great deal of respect for him for what he has done. But I think he has lost his confidence as a leader. Even though he knows what he is doing, I don’t think he can galvanize the will of the people, which is very important at this time,” said Cass Cannon, a London resident originally from Virginia.
STRONG CANDIDATE
“Biden wasn’t a strong candidate in the first place. And I feel with the momentum with everything that is going, in the end, Trump is going to win,” added Solomon Bauch, a London resident who is originally from Virginia,
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Europe’s staunchest supporters of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, has not yet praised Biden’s legacy.
He has suggested that Trump survived a recent assassination attempt by Devine intervention as, in his words, he wants to bring peace to the world once again.“
In the Netherlands, preparations were underway for a post-Biden era: former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will soon become the next secretary general of the NATO military alliance.
Rutte, who had a good relationship with Biden, is all but certain to either face the NATO critical Trump or Harris as his next most important American partner at a time when the alliance faces significant security challenges.
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