Ukraine crisis: West was ready for Russian invasion, says Biden

The West was ready for the “unprovoked” and “premeditated” attack by Russia on Ukraine, US President Joe Biden will say in a primetime speech to Congress.

Vladimir Putin “thought the West and Nato wouldn’t respond. He thought he could divide us here at home. He was wrong. We were ready,” he will say.

Mr Biden’s State of the Union speech, an annual event pushing a president’s agenda, comes at a perilous time.

His approval ratings have plummeted amid widespread dissatisfaction.

The rising cost of living is a major source of concern for average Americans and his legislative agenda has hit roadblocks within his own Democratic Party.

In an acknowledgement of these economic headwinds, the president will promise a plan to “build a better America” in his primetime address.

“Lower your costs, not your wages. Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America.

“More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And, instead of relying on foreign supply chains – let’s make it in America.”

But his biggest foreign policy crisis, the invasion of Ukraine, may dominate his speech, of which excerpts were released ahead of time.

“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and Nato wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.

“Putin was wrong. We were ready.”

Hours before his address, President Biden spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss what US help he could give his country after six days of the Russian assault.

First Lady Jill Biden is hosting Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova in her VIP box for the speech, which starts at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT).

Joe Biden is delivering his State of the Union address at a particularly precarious time in his presidency. Audiences in the US and around the world will be watching carefully to see how he addresses the crisis in Ukraine and what steps the US might take next.

That might make this speech different – and more important – than the typical State of the Union fare. But chances are it won’t

Historically, these kind of speeches don’t move the needle much as far as changing domestic public opinion about a president. While they’re received with considerable fanfare, and can serve as a helpful way to focus fellow partisans on the issues and messages the president deems important, they do little to advance any kind of presidential agenda, at least in the near term.

Even George W Bush’s first State of the Union address, delivered a few months after the September 2001 terror attack, didn’t change the political dynamic. Mr Bush’s approval ratings at the time were high, and they stayed high.

Mr Biden’s poll numbers, on the other hand, are low – and he could use the kind of bump that a rally-around-the-flag foreign policy crisis might generate.

If he gets one, however, it probably won’t be because of what he says to Congress tonight.