pres. biden: john paul brought the message to warsaw in his first trip back home, june 1979. it was a message about the power of faith, the power of resilience, power of the people. it was a message that

helped 30 years ago. it was a message that will overcome the cruelty and brutality of this unjust war. when pope john brought that message in 1979, the soviet union ruled with an iron fist, behind an iron curtain. a year later, the solidarity movement of calm in poland. although he could not be here tonight, we are all grateful for him around the world. [applause] it reminds me of that phrase left faith sees best in the dark

. these were dark moments. 10 years later, the soviet union collapsed in poland in central and eastern europe would soon be free. nothing about that battle for freedom with simple or easy. it was a long, painful slog, fought over not days and months, but years and decades. we emerged anew in the great battle for freedom, a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, rules-based order, and one governed by brute force. in this battle, we need to be clear eyed. the battle will not be one in days or months either. we need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead. mr. president, mr. prime minister, mr. mayor, members of

parliament, distinguished guests, and the people of poland, and i suspect some people of ukraine that are here. [cheers and applause] we are gathered here at the royal castle in the city that holds a sacred place of not only europe, but humankind and the unending search for freedom. for generations, warsaw has stood where liberty has been challenged and liberty has prevailed. in fact, here in warsaw, was a young refugee fled her home country when czechoslovakia was under soviet domination, came back to speak and stand in solidarity with dissidents. her name was madeleine albright. she became one of the most

ardent supporters of democracy in the world. she was the first woman secretary of state. she passed away three days ago. she fought her whole life for central democratic principles, and now in the perennial to struggle for democracy and freedom, ukraine and its people are on the front lines, fighting to save their nation, and their brave resistance is part of a larger fight for essential democratic principles that unite all free people.

a rule of law, fair and free elections, the freedom to speak, to write, and to assemble, the freedom to worship as one chooses, freedom of the press. these pillars of ours are essential in a free society. [applause] but they have always been under siege, we have always been in battle. every generation has had to -- that is the way the world for the world is imperfect, where the appetites and ambitions of a few forever seek to dominate the lives and liberty of many. my message to the people of ukraine is a message i delivered today to ukraine's foreign minister and defense minister, who i believe are here tonight. we stand with you. [applause] period. today's fighting team in kharkiv, the latest battle in a long struggle, hungary 1956, poland 1956 and again 1981, czechoslovakia 1968.

soviet tanks crushed democratic uprisings, but the resistance continued until finally in 1989, the berlin wall and all of the walls of soviet domination fell. they fell. [applause] and the people prevailed. [applause] the battle for democracy could not conclude, did not conclude with the end of the cold war. over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have come from all over the world, its hallmarks are familiar ones, contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself. today, russia has strangled democracy and sought to do so elsewhere not only in its homeland.

under false claims of ethnic solidarity it invalidated neighboring nations. it is a lie, cynical and he knows that. president zelenskyy was democratically elected. he is jewish, his father's family was wiped out in the not the nazi holocaust imprudent has -- the audacity to believe that might well make right. my own country, abraham lincoln voiced the opposing spirit to save our union in the midst of a civil war. he said "let us have faith that right makes might." [applause] today, let us have that faith again. let us resolve with the strength of democracies and action to thwart the designs of autocracy. let us remember that this moment is the test of all time.

a criminal wants to portray nato enlargement as an imperial project aimed at destabilizing russia. nothing is further from the truth. nato is a defensive alliance. it has never sought to divide -- the demise of russia. in the lead up to the current crisis, the united states and nato worked for months to engage russia to advert war. i know him in person. i've talked many times on the phone. time and again, we offered real diplomacy and concrete proposals to strengthen european security, enhance transparency, build confidence on all sides, but putin and russia met each of the proposals with disinterest in any negotiation. with the lies and ultimatums, russia was bent on violence from the start. i know not all of you believe me

and us when we kept saying they are going to cross the border, they are going to attack. repeatedly he asserted we had no interest in war, guaranteeing he would not move. repeatedly saying he would not invade ukraine, repeatedly saying russian troops along the border where there for training, all 180,000 of them. there is simply no justification or provocation for russia's choice of war. it is an example of one of the oldest human impulses, using brute force and disinformation to satisfy a craving for absolute power and control. it is nothing less then a direct challenge to the rule-based international order established at the extent of world war ii and threatens to return to decades of war that ravaged earth before the international rule-based order was put into place. we cannot go back to that.

we cannot. the gravity of the threat is why the response of the west has been so swift and powerful and unified, unprecedented and overwhelming. swift and punishing costs are the only thing that will get russia to change its course. within days of its invasion, the west has moved jointly with sanctions to damage russia's economy. russia's central bank is now blocked from global financial systems, denying kremlin's to war funds stashed around the globe. we aimed at the heart of russia's economy by stopping the imports of russian energy to the united states. to date, the united states has sanctioned 140 russian oligarchs, their family members, seizing their ill-gotten gains,

their luxury apartments, yachts, their mansions. we sanctioned more than 400 russian government officials including architects of this or, officials who have reaped enormous benefit from the connection to the kremlin. now they have to share in the pain. the private sector is acting as well. over 400 private multinational companies have been pulled out of doing business in russia, left russia completely. from oil companies to mcdonald's. as a result of these unprecedented sanctions, the ruble is almost immediately reduced to rubble. russian economy -- that is true by the way. [applause] it takes about 200 rubles to equal one dollar. the economy is on track to be cut in half in the coming years. it was, russia's economy was ranked to the 11th biggest in the world before this invasion. it will soon not even rank among

the top 20 in the world. [applause] taken together, these sanctions have the power to inflict damage that rivals military might. the international sanctions are sapping russian strength and the ability to replenish its military and its ability to project power.

it is vladimir putin who is to blame period. at the same time, the western world is coming together for the people of ukraine to provide economic, humanitarian assistance. in the years before the invasion, we sent over at $650 million before they crossed the border in weapons to ukraine. since the invasion, america has committed another $1.35 billion in weapons and ammunition. and thanks to the courage and bravery of the ukrainian people, the equipment we sent has been used to devastating effect to defend ukrainian land and air space. our allies and partners have stepped up as well. as i have made clear, american forces are in europe, not to engage in conflict with russian forces. american forces are here to defend nato allies. yesterday i met with the troops serving alongside our polish allies to bolster nato's front line defenses. the reason we want to make it clear is there movement on ukraine, don't even think about moving on one single inch of nato territory. we have sacred obligations. we have a sacred obligation

under article five to defend each and every inch of native territory with the full force of our collective power. and earlier today, i visited the international stadium where thousands of ukrainian refugees now 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? i saw tears in many mothers' eyes as i embraced them, their young children not sure whether to smile or cry. one little girl said, mr. president, she spoke some english, my brother and daddy, are they going to be ok? will i see them again? the husbands and fathers and brothers and 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 when they gripped my hand. little kids hung onto my leg, praying with the desperate hope that all this is temporary. apprehension that they may perhaps be forever away from their homes, almost a debilitating sadness that this is happening all over again. but i was also struck by the generosity of the people of warsaw, for that matter all of the polish people, the depth of their compassion, their willingness to reach out, to open their hearts. [applause] they need to open their hearts and home simply to help. i also want to think my friend, the great american chef, josé

andres for helping feed those yearning to be free and helping refugees is not something poland or any other nation should carry alone. all the world democracies have a responsibility to help, all of them. people of ukraine can count on and thepeople of ukraine can count on the united states to meet its responsibility. i announced that we will welcome 100,000 ukrainian refugees. we already have 8000 a week coming to the united states. we will provide nearly $300 million in humanitarian assistance, providing tens of thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, and other basic supplies. in brussels, i announced that the united states is prepared to provide $1 billion in additional humanitarian aid. the world food program poses significant obstacles, at least some relief is getting to major

cities in ukraine, but not others because russian forces are blocking the supplies. we will not cease efforts to get humanitarian relief wherever it is needed in ukraine and to the people who have made it out of ukraine. notwithstanding the brutality of vladimir putin, let there be no doubt this war has already been a strategic failure for russia already. [applause] having lost children myself, i know that is no solace to the people who lost family, but put he, putin, thought ukrainians would roll over and not fight. not much of a student of history. instead, russian forces have met their match 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 he has a stronger presence, a larger presence with over 100,000 american troops along with the other members of nato. in fact, russia managed to cause something i'm sure he never intended, the democracies of the world are revitalized with purpose and unity found in months that once took years to accomplish. it is not only russia's actions in ukraine that reminded us of democracy's blessing, it is our own country, the kremlin, jailing protesters. 200,000 people allegedly already left. there is a brain drain leaving russia, shutting down

independent news. state media is all propaganda, blocking the images of the civilian targets, mass raves, starvation tactics of the russian regime. it is no wonder that 100,000 russians have left their country in one month. a remarkable brained drain in such a short period of time. which brings me to my message to the russian people. i worked with russian leaders for decades and sat across from the negotiating table and talked arms control at the height of the cold war. i have always spoken directly and honestly to you, the russian people. let me say this if you are able listen. you, the russian people, are not our enemy. i refuse to believe you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents, or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards and for god sake being pummeled with russian

missiles and bombs, or cities being surrounded so civilians cannot flee, supplies cut off , and attempting to start 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 1930's and 1940's, the situation of world war ii, still fresh in the minds of many grandparents in the region. whatever your generation experienced, whether it experienced the siege in leningrad or heard about it from her parents and grandparents, train stations overflowing with terrified families fleeing their homes,

sorting through the rubble in your homes, these are not memories of the past, not anymore, because this is exactly with the russian army is doing to ukraine right now. march 26, 2022, you are a 20 just days before you were a 21st century nation with hopes and dreams that people all over the world have for themselves and their families. now vladimir putin's aggression that cut you, the russian people come off from the rest of the world, and he is taking russia back to the 19th century. this is not who you are. this is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. i am telling you the truth, this war is not worthy of you, the russian people. putin can and must end this war. the american people stand with you in the brave citizens of

ukraine who want peace. my message is this new battle for freedom has already made a few things crystal clear. first, europe must end its dependence on russian fossil fuels, and we, the united states, will help. [applause] that's why i announced a plan with the president of the european commission to get europe through the immediate energy crisis. over the long-term, as a man of ater of economic security and survivability of the planet, we all need to move as quickly as possible and we will work together to help get that done so that the days of any nation being subject to the whims of a tyrant for its energy needs are over. they must end. they must end. and second, we must fight the corruption coming from the kremlin to give the russian people a fair chance and we

maintain absolute unity we must , among the world democracies. it is not enough to speak of the noble and words of democracy, freedom, equality, and liberty, all of us, including here in poland, lest do the hard work of democracy each and every day and my country as well. [applause] that is why -- that is why -- i came to europe again this week with a clear and determined message for nato, the g7, the european union, all freedom loving nations, we must commit now to remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after it, and for the years and decades to come. it will not be easy. there will be costs, but it is a price we have to pay because the

darkness that drives autocracy is no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere. i'm and again -- time and again, history shows in some of the darkest moments, the greatest progress follows. in history -- and history shows this is the task of our time, the task of this generation. let's remember the hammer that brought down the berlin will, might that lifted the iron curtain, they were not the words of a single leader, it was the people of europe who for decades fought to free themselves, their shared bravery opened the border between austria and hungary. they joined hands for the baltic way. they stood for solidarity in pulpit. and together, it was an unmistakable, undeniable force of the people that the soviet union could not withstand.

and we are seeing it once again today, the brave ukrainian people showing that the power of many is greater than that will of anyone dictator. [applause] so in this hour, let the words of pope john burn as brightly today, never, ever give up hope. never doubt, never tire, never become discouraged. be not afraid. [cheers and applause] a dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase the people's love for liberty. brutality will never grind down the will to be free. ukraine will never be evicted

a victory for russia, for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness. they will have a different future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities. for gods sake, this man cannot remain in power. god bless you all and may god defend our freedoms and may god protect our troops. thank you for your patience. thank you. [applause] thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. >> c-span has unfiltered

coverage of the u.s. is response to the russian invasion of ukraine bringing you the latest from the president, the pentagon and to state officials. we all on c-span networks, best c-span free mobile app -- you can follow tweets from journalists on the ground. go to c-span.org/ukraine. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including buckeye broadband. ♪ >>