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THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. It's a good day for America, a good day for Europe and a good day for world peace. This is of vital importance.
I just signed the National Security Act, which passed the House of Representatives over the weekend and the Senate yesterday.
It will make America safer. He will make the world safer. And it continues America's leadership in the world, as everyone knows.
It provides vital support to America's partners, and they - to defend themselves against threats to their sovereignty and the lives and freedom of their citizens. And it's an investment in our own security, because when our allies are stronger - and I want to stress this over and over again - when our allies are stronger, we are stronger.
I'm grateful for all - grateful for all those in Congress - Democrats, Republicans, independents - who voted for this bill.
It's a journey - to my desk, it's been a difficult journey. It should have been easier and it should have gotten there sooner. But in the end, we did what America always does: We always buckled down, we pulled together, and we got through it.
Now we need to act quickly, and that is what we are doing.
For more than two years, Russia has been responsible for a brutal campaign against Ukraine. They have killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians; they have bombed hospitals - deliberately targeted them - they have bombed hospitals, kindergartens, grain silos; they have tried to plunge Ukraine into a cold and dark winter by hitting its electricity grid.
Ukrainians fought back - Ukrainians fought back, defending their country and their families with extraordinary courage. Many of you were there many times with me. It is amazing what they can do. I mean, it's amazing.
Against such a larger army, Ukraine regained more than half of the territory Russia took from them in that invasion. And they won important victories against the Russian navy. But make no mistake: These are fighting forces that have the will and capability to win - the will and capability to win.
For months, while MAGA Republicans blocked aid, Ukraine ran out of artillery shells and ammunition.
In the meantime, Putin's friends are still giving him - keeping him in good shape. Iran sent him drones. North Korea sent him ballistic missiles and artillery shells. China is supplying components and know-how to boost Russian defense production.
With all this support, Russia has increased its airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, raining ammunition on U- - brave Ukrainians defending their homeland. And now the Americans are going to send Ukraine the supplies they need to continue the fight.
There was news this weekend - and it's - I find it amazing. There are reports of cheers coming from the trenches in eastern Ukraine - probably coming from one of your people - a reporter or someone like that. I'm not sure where it came from. But that they are cheering as they watch the House vote in support of Ukraine.
It's not that they don't understand what we've done. It's not that they don't understand how critical it is to them.
I can assure you that shipments will begin immediately.
In the next few hours - literally in the next few hours - we will start sending air defence equipment; artillery ammunition; missile systems; and armoured vehicles to Ukraine.
You see, this package is literally an investment not only in Ukraine's security, but also in Europe's security, in our own security.
We are sending Ukraine equipment from our own stockpile and then supplementing that stockpile with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In other words, we are helping Ukraine while investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states across America.
You know, the United States is not acting alone, to set the record straight. Our allies in Europe and around the world, who have been asking me over and over again, are we going to take action? We're not going to back down, are we? How many" - and some of you have been in these international meetings with me. They are very concerned. If we had not intervened, God knows what would have happened to the cohesion of NATO.
We're also sending -- they're also sending significant aid to Ukraine. We are all standing together against this brutal dictator.
As I have argued for months, this is directly - directly in the national security interests of the United States. If Putin triumphs in Ukraine, the next move by Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on NATO allies. And you all know that invoking Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty would be the first thing that would come to mind, which declares that an attack on one is an attack on all.
If Putin were to attack NATO allies, as he is attacking Ukraine today, we would have no choice but to come to their aid, just as our NATO allies came to our aid after the 9/11 attacks here.
That is why we are now supporting and sharply increasing our support for Ukraine: to prevent Putin from dragging the United States into a war in Europe in the future.
You know, it seems to me that we should take a step back and realise what a critical moment this was for the United States and for NATO. It's a historic moment.
In the last two years, we have helped to unify, strengthen and expand NATO. Imagine if we had failed instead - that we had not stepped in now to support Ukraine. All these gains would have begun to unravel, NATO's cohesion would have been weakened and our national security would undoubtedly have been compromised.
You see, Putin started this war thinking that he could easily break the will of the Ukrainian people. When that didn't work, he changed his strategy a little bit and thought he could break - break NATO's will, break the United States' will, break our will. Well, again, he failed.
America stands with our friends. We stand against dictators. We bow to no one - no one, certainly not Vladimir Putin.
Look, this bill also includes substantial support for Israel. Just ten days ago, we saw Iran fire more than 100 rockets and drones at Israel. And thanks to them and other allies around the countr- - the world, including those in the region, there was no - no serious damage. An unprecedented attack that followed years of Iran supporting Hezbollah, Hamas and their own proxies - their own attack on Israel. They - they are funding them.
My commitment to Israel, I want to reiterate, is ironclad. Israel's security is essential. I will always ensure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself against Iran and the terrorists it supports.
And with this assistance, the United States can help replenish Israel's air defenses and provide other critical defensive assets so that Iran can never wreak the havoc it intended with its attack ten days ago.
But at the same time, this bill significantly - significantly increases the humanitarian aid that we send to the innocent people of Gaza who are suffering greatly. They are suffering the consequences of this war that Hamas has unleashed. And we have been working hard for months to get as much aid into Gaza as possible.
This bill includes $1 billion for additional humanitarian aid in Gaza. We will provide that aid immediately and we will increase - increase it, including food, medical supplies, clean water. And Israel must ensure that all of this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay.
And everything we do is driven by the ultimate goal of bringing these hostages home, securing a ceasefire and creating the conditions for lasting peace.
You know, this bill does more - as you all know, the press here, including providing support for even greater strengthening of our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as humanitarian assistance for places like Haiti, Sudan, and Somalia.
But there is one thing this bill does not address: border security.
You know, just this year I proposed and negotiated and passed the strongest border security bill this country has ever, ever, ever seen. It was bipartisan. It should have been included in this bill, and I am committed to getting it passed for the American people. But I'll come back to that in another mom -- another time.
It's a reminder of what America can do when we s- - when we come together, despite our differences.
I want to thank everyone in Congress who made this possible, especially the leadership of both parties: Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leaders Schumer and McConnell. They don't always agree, but when it mattered most, they stood up and did the right thing. And I mean that sincerely, history will remember this time. History will remember this moment.
For all the talk about how dysfunctional things are in Washington, if you look at the past three years, we see that time and time again we have really come together on critical issues. It hasn't always been easy, but when it came time to make a decision to rebuild America, we did it with the bipartisan infrastructure bill that's underway.
When it came time to invest in our semiconductor industry and the tech- - technology of the future, we did it with the CHIPS Act and the Science Act.
And when it came time to stand with Ukraine and Israel and help the people of Gaza, we did.
In the end, most of us - whether we are Democrats, Republicans or independents - believe that America must stand up for what is right.
We are not walking away from our allies, we are standing with them. We don't let bullies win; we stand against them. We don't just watch global events unfold; we shape them.
It means being an indispensable nation. It means being the world's superpower and the world's leading democracy.
Some of our Republican MAGA friends reject this vision, but this vote makes it clear: there is a bipartisan consensus for this kind of American leadership. That is exactly what we will continue to push for.
Thank you all very much. And now I'm off to a speech at the hotel I'm late for. And I will have plenty of time to answer questions on this and other matters.
Thank you.
US President Joe Biden
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