President and First Lady Biden visit New York for the UN General Assembly

President Joe Biden addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, New York (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith).

The president and first lady both delivered significant remarks at events around the annual United Nations assembly.

Article by Emily Barkann, Chief White House Correspondent

UNITED NATIONS - President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived in New York Sunday evening ahead of the president’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

The Bidens had much to accomplish during their time in New York. The first lady was the keynote speaker at the UNICEF Champions for Children event, the first couple hosted a reception with foreign leaders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the president shared his remarks at the annual assembly.

The annual UN commenced for the second year of the war in Ukraine, and the conflict remains a focus for leaders.

Therefore, President Biden called for the world to stand up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to maintain their support of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his country.

Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military believe the world will soon grow weary of supporting Ukraine. Therefore, the countries in the United Nations must help Ukraine fight against Putin’s aggression.

“If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden asked. “I respectfully suggest the answer is no. We have to stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”

According to CNN, the UN has led humanitarian aid during the war, but it has not acted as a mediator. Even with the UN’s aid, Biden says Russia is solely responsible for the conflict.

“Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately,” he said. “And it’s Russia alone that stands in the way of peace.”

The Associated Press reported that the Biden administration has asked Congress to send $24 billion in humanitarian and security aid to Ukraine. However, House Republicans have ignored that request as lawmakers scramble to keep government funding flowing past the end of September. At the same time, key nations around the globe either keep out of the conflict or encourage it.

Despite this, The New York Times noted that the president used his address to the UN General Assembly to counter war fatigue, both in the U.S. and abroad.

“The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people, because we know our future is bound to yours,” Biden said. “And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone.”

President Biden also discussed the future of democracy and the importance of democratic institutions worldwide.

“We will defend democracy: our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world,” he said. “We’re working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people’s lives.”

The president often points to China’s lack of democratic policies. However, he used a more diplomatic tone at the assembly, promoting a healthier relationship with China.

“I want to be clear and consistent: We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said. “I’ve said we are for de-risking, not decoupling on China.”

President Biden mentioned many other major world issues in his speech, including climate change, fentanyl abuse, artificial intelligence, terrorism, human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights and arms control.

Later Tuesday, the president met with leaders from the so-called C5 group of Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, The Associated Press published. Together, they discussed several areas of collaboration, like disability rights and critical minerals.

Finally, Biden emphasized that the United Nations must keep up with the changing world to overcome future challenges.

“We also recognize that to meet new challenges of our decades-old institutions and approaches, they must be updated to keep pace with the world,” he said. “We have to bring in more leadership and capability that exists everywhere, especially from regions that have not always been fully included… We have to make sure we’re delivering for people everywhere… That starts with the United Nations – starts right here.”

Watch Biden’s full remarks at the UNGA78 below.