Biden says his administration has prevented Putin from succeeding

US President Joe Biden says his single term presidency has been one of remarkable success on the foreign policy front, as he held a press conference to reflect on his administration’s time in office.

As the US leader prepares to vacate the Oval Office next week, he remains insistent that his sole term has made strides in restoring American credibility on the world stage, and has proved that the US, remains an indispensable partner around the globe.

“The United States is winning the worldwide competition”, said Biden to the audience gathered at the US State Department conference room.

Biden says the world is at an inflection point, stressing that a new era of “fierce competition” has begun, replacing the “post-Cold War period”.

“In these four years, we faced crises, that we’ve been tested. We’ve come through those tests stronger, in my view, than we entered those tests,” said the US President.

Biden continued, elaborating that the United States is charging ahead of its competition in various fields, including the future of the global economy, technology and human values. “Compared to four years ago, America is stronger, our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are weaker.”

Biden then took the opportunity to direct several minutes of his address to perhaps the biggest rival of his presidency, Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

Biden says his administration has prevented Putin from achieving any real success in his war objectives.

“When Putin invaded Ukraine he thought he’d conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. The truth is, since that war began, I’m the only one who stood in the centre of Kyiv, not him. Putin never has.”

He continued saying that as the years rolled on, the Russian leader was unable to change the trajectory in his favour.

“And now, nearly three, three years later, Putin has failed to achieve any of his strategic objectives. He has failed thus far to subjugate Ukraine, failed to break, to break the unity of NATO and failed to make large territorial gains,” added Biden.

The outgoing US president says it’s important not to abandon the path he’s begun, stressing that the fate of other countries, as far as Asia, relies on continued support for Ukraine.

“There’s more to do. We can’t walk away. We rallied 50 nations to stand with Ukraine, not just in Europe, but the first for the first time in Asia as well. Those countries in Asia know, what happens in Ukraine matters to them as well.”

Biden continued saying that his administration has successfully completed its job in Ukraine, rallying global support and avoiding war between two nuclear powers. The US president stated that thanks to the US’ efforts, championed by his administration, Ukraine still stands free and independent, with a bright future ahead.

He added that his government has also prepared the country to continue prospering, “we laid for the foundation for the next administration so they can protect the bright future of the Ukrainian people.”

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Biden says Washington’s adversaries reached their weakest point under his leadership. The US president referenced Syria as an example of their weakened states. “If we want more evidence of a seriously weakened Iran and Russia, just take a look at Syria. President Assad was both countries closest ally in the Middle East. Neither could keep him in power.”

He stressed that major authoritarian states like Iran, Russia, China and North Korea are aligning more closely with one another “out of weakness than out of strength”.

Biden’s case for his foreign policy achievements will be shadowed and shaped, at least in the near term, by the messy counterfactual that American voters are returning the country’s stewardship to Donald Trump and his protectionist worldview.

The 82 year old Democrat insists the incoming administration will inherit a United States, that is in a “fundamentally stronger position” than it was under Trump’s first term.

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