Biden delivers last UN General Assembly address, says ‘Putin’s war has failed’

New York: US President Joe Biden in his final address before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday morning in New York City, capping a decades-long political career that has focused heavily on foreign policy, stressed the top national security priorities of US- Ukraine and its defence against the Russian invasion.

“The good news is Putin’s war has failed at his core aim,” Biden said. He then promised to continue to support Kyiv until it achieves a “durable peace”. The unyielding tension in West Asia dominated much of the UN conference.

Biden has said he believes a ceasefire and hostage negotiation agreement is close, but nearly one year after the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that incited the war, a deal remains elusive. Biden said the “world must not flinch” from the horrors of October 7, and innocent civilians in Gaza are “also going through hell.”

“Since October 7, we’ve also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region,” the president said.

“Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7 attack launching rockets into Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli-Lebanon border remain displaced. Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.”

Biden began by making a now-familiar joke about his age. “I’ve seen a remarkable sweep of history. I was first elected to office … in 1972. Now, I know I look like I’m only 40. I know that,” the president said, drawing laughs. Biden then talked about how he has seen the country change over his decades in Washington, and how enemies have become allies.

As he wrapped up his address, Joe Biden reflected on his decision not to seek a second term in office. “We must never forget who we’re here to represent,” Biden said. “We, the people. These are the first words of our Constitution, the very idea of America, and they inspired the opening words of our UN Charter. I’ve made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency.”
US President said, “This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honour of my life. There’s so much more I want to get done. But as much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided after 50 years of public service, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward. My fellow leaders, let us never forget, that some things are more important than staying in power.”

Apart from the conflict in West Asia, Biden also called on countries to combine their forces against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the growing global concerns about China’s influence.

“I truly believe we’re at another inflexion point in world history. The choices we make today will determine our future,” Biden said.

He also spoke about the Quad and praised his government for rebuilding the US alliance. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

He said, “To face the future, I was also determined to rebuild my country’s alliance and partnerships to a level not previously seen. We did, we did just that from traditional treaty alliances to new partnerships like the Quad, United States, Japan, Australia and India. I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair. But, I do not, I won’t, as leaders we don’t have the luxury. I recognize the challenges from Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan and beyond.”

US President Biden hosted the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware on September 21. Quad Leaders Summit saw the participation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden.