President Biden promises to ‘inflict pain’ on 'dictator’ Putin

US President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address Tuesday, promising to “inflict pain” on Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“We are choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come,” said Biden.

Speaking directly to members of Russia’s kleptocratic ruling class, Biden pledged that the US will “seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”

He also lauded the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people, who on Tuesday night faced a vicious barrage of missiles on their major cities and continued to resist Russia’s advance.

“Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people. He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world,” Biden said.

Russian planes banned from using US airspace

President Biden announced a ban on Russian aircraft from US airspace during his State of the Union address.

"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy," the President said.

US officials believe there will still be ways for Americans to get out of Russia if Russian flights cannot come to the US, citing train options out of the country as one possibility.

The US joins Canada and the European Union in closing off its airspace to Russian aircraft. Before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the entire EU would close off its airspace to Russian planes, several European countries — including Germany, France and Italy — had already done so.

Russian oligarchs on US radar

President Biden said that the US intends to go after Russian oligarchs who support Vladimir Putin. 

"Tonight, I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who built billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more. The United States — I mean it. The United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs," Biden said.

Biden continued: "We're joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets. We're coming for your ill-begotten gains."

US forces "will not engage in the conflict"

President Biden reiterated that the US would not deploy troops to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, telling members of Congress gathered for his State of the Union, “Let me be clear — our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.”

Instead, the President said, American troops were deployed to Europe not to fight in Ukraine, “but to defend our NATO allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west.”

“For that purpose, we have mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia,” he added.

Previously, Biden has said the US would hold fast to NATO’s Article 5 principle, which says that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all member counties—in Tuesday’s remarks, he pledged, “As I’ve made crystal clear, the United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory of NATO countries with the full force of our collective power.”

For Ukraine, the President touted “more than $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine,” including military, economic, and humanitarian aide from the US and allies.

"Putin is now isolated from the world"

Amid Russia's invasion into Ukraine, President Biden praised the United States' ability to band together with other "freedom-loving nations" across the world. "We stayed united," said the President.

"We countered Russia's lies with the truth, and now, now that he's acted, the free world is holding him accountable," Biden said.

"Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been," the President said, a remark that was met with applause inside the House chamber.

"Send unmistakable signal to Ukraine"

President Biden began his first State of the Union address with a display of solidarity for the Ukrainian people, receiving a bipartisan standing ovation as he called on members of Congress to stand in the House chamber in a show of support for Ukraine.

“In this struggle, President Zelensky said in his speech to the European Parliament, ‘Light will win over darkness.’ The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight sitting with the first lady,” Biden said.

He continued, “Let each of us here tonight in this Chamber if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world.”

He received a loud standing ovation from the members, many of whom wore blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. Ukraine Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova stood beside first lady Jill Biden as the chamber applauded, holding her country’s flag.

“We, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people,” Biden said.

Biden later praised the people of Ukraine and Ukranian-Americans amid the ongoing crisis, which he conceded would “take time.”

“This is a real test. And it’s going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. To our fellow Ukrainian-Americans who forged a deep bond that connects our two nations, we stand with you,” he said.

Biden branded his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "dictator" facing withering economic and diplomatic isolation for invading neighboring Ukraine, and warned the world is in a "battle" between democracy and autocracy.

As he delivered his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, praising the Ukrainian "wall of strength" that has stood tall against Russian invaders, Biden made clear there would be no US boots on the ground in the week-old war on Europe's doorstep.

"Let me be clear: our forces are not engaged, and will not engage, in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine," the Democratic leader said.

Biden nevertheless leveled ferocious criticism at Putin. "A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world," Biden said. "In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security."

The West, led by tough new steps from Washington, has launched a fierce economic battle with Russia, unleashing a wave of sanctions that threaten to bring the Russian economy to its knees. 

Putin, he said, had badly underestimated the powerful response his invasion would illicit from Western nations as sanctions inflict "pain" on Russia's economy. "Putin's war was premeditated, totally unprovoked," he said.

"He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. He thought he could divide us at home," Biden said. "He thought he could divide us in Europe as well."

"But Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united."

Biden paid particular praise to Ukrainians who faced off against Russians despite an overwhelming military assault.

Putin "thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined," Biden intoned. "He met the Ukrainian people."

In a moment of bipartisan unity, US lawmakers gave a standing ovation to Ukraine, turning to the country's ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, who was seated in First Lady Jill Biden's VIP box

Speaking on day six of Russia's invasion, Biden said Putin's aggression was "premeditated and totally unprovoked" -- but hailed the resolve of the Western alliance in responding with brutal sanctions. 

"(Putin) thought he could divide us here at home," Biden said. "But Putin was wrong. We are ready." –Agencies