Biden at UN calls for unity among countries in supporting Ukraine

World leaders must continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, President Joe Biden said at his annual address before the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, emphasizing that the sovereignty of other countries depends on it.

“Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence,” Biden said. “But I ask you this — if we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they’re protected?”

It’s a message Biden previewed already in a pair of fundraisers on Monday evening, where he told supporters that he stood up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion — and questioned whether his predecessor, Donald Trump, would have attempted to do the same.

“If you allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden said during his remarks Tuesday. “I’d respectfully suggest the answer is no. We have to stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”