American President, Joe Biden who met thousands of refugees that fled Russia's war in Ukraine, at PGE in Warsaw, Poland on Friday, while touring the site with Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, and Chef José Andrés to see the humanitarian response.
It was emotional when the President said the Ukrainian refugees are trying to answer the toughest questions a human can ask “My God, what’s going to happen to me? What’s going to happen to my family?”, while the President could not hold on than to embrace them and their young children.
According to him, "these young refugee children are not sure whether to smile or cry. One little girl said, “Mr. President” she spoke a little English “is my brother and my daddy are they going to be okay? Will I see them again?” Without their husbands, their fathers, in many cases, their brothers or sisters who stayed back to fight for their country.
"I didn’t have to speak the language or understand the language to feel the emotion in their eyes, the way they gripped my hand, and little kids hung on to my leg, praying with a desperate hope that all this is temporary; apprehension that they may be perhaps forever away from their homes, almost with debilitating sadness that this is happening all over again", Biden said.
American President was struck by the generosity of the people of Warsaw. "For that matter, all the Polish people for the depths of their compassion, their willingness to reach out, opening their hearts. I was saying to the Mayor they’re preparing to open their hearts and their homes simply to help. I also want to thank my friend, the great American chef, José Andrés, and his team who helped feeling those feeding those who are yearning to be free.
"But helping these refugees is not something Poland or any other nation should carry alone. All the world democracies have a responsibility to help. All of them. And the people of Ukraine can count on the United States to meet its responsibility. I’ve announced, two days ago, we will welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. We already have 8,000 a week coming to the United States of other nationalities".
Biden said America will provide nearly $300 million of humanitarian assistance, providing tens of thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, and other basic supplies. In Brussels, I announced the United States is prepared to provide more than $1 billion, in addition, in humanitarian aid.
"The World Food Programme told us that despite significant obstacles, at least some relief is getting to major cities in Ukraine, but not Metropol not Mariupol, because Russian forces are blocking relief supplies. But we’ll not cease our efforts to get humanitarian relief wherever it is needed in Ukraine and for the people who’ve made it out of Ukraine.
American President noted that notwithstanding the brutality of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, "let there be no doubt that this war has already been a strategic failure for Russia already. Having lost children myself I know that’s no solace to the people who’ve lost family.
"But he, Putin, thought Ukrainians would roll over and not fight. Not much of a student of history. Instead, Russian forces have met their match with brave and stiff Ukrainian resistance. Rather than breaking Ukrainian resolve, Russia’s brutal tactics have strengthened the resolve.
"Rather than driving NATO apart, the West is now stronger and more united than it has ever been. Russia wanted less of a NATO presence on its border, but now we have a stronger presence, a larger presence, with over a hundred thousand American troops here, along with all the other members of NATO".
Biden added that Russia managed to cause something he is sure Putin never intended: "The democracies of the world are revitalized with purpose and unity found in months that we’d once taken years to accomplish. It’s not only Russia’s actions in Ukraine that are reminding us of democracy’s blessing.
"It’s our own country his own country, the Kremlin, is jailing protestors. Two hundred thousand people have allegedly already left. There’s a brain drain leaving Russia. Shutting down independent news. State media is all propaganda, blocking the image of civilian targets, mass graves, starvation tactics of the Russian forces in Ukraine.
"Is it any wonder, as I said, that 200,000 Russians have all left their country in one month? A remarkable brain drain in such a short period of time, which brings me to my message to the Russian people: I’ve worked with Russian leaders for decades. I sat across the negotiating table going all the way back to Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin to talk arms control at the height of the Cold War".
He sounded it clearly that Russian people, are not the enemy. "I refuse to believe that you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards that, for God’s sake, are being pummeled with Russian missiles and bombs; or cities being surrounded so that civilians cannot flee; supplies cut off and attempting to starve Ukrainians into submission.
"Millions of families are being driven from their homes, including half of all Ukraine’s children. These are not the actions of a great nation. Of all people, you, the Russian people, as well as all people across Europe, still have the memory of being in a similar situation in the late thirties and forties, the situation of World War Two, still fresh in the minds of many grandparents in the region".
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