(New York) At the start of his presidency, Joe Biden predicted that the historians of tomorrow would write “their doctoral theses on the question of who succeeded: autocracy or democracy”.
Since then, the issue has continued to occupy a central place in his presidency, providing him with the material for some of his most important speeches. In December 2021, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, he held a virtual democracy summit during which he pledged to fight authoritarian drift both in the United States and abroad. ‘foreign.
“In the face of sustained and alarming challenges to democracy, universal human rights, and everywhere in the world, democracy needs champions,” said the man who had beaten an admirer just over a year ago. of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
Joe Biden obviously returned to the charge during his first State of the Union speech, which came just days after the Russian invasion, the start of which he had predicted almost to the day.
“In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the occasion, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. It’s a real test. It will take time,” he said.
“When dictators don’t pay the price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They continue to gain ground. And the costs and threats to America and the world continue to mount,” he added.
“Putin’s war of conquest is a failure”
But none of Joe Biden’s speeches or gestures will have had the symbolic significance of his visit to Kyiv on Monday, just days before the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression. An unexpected visit which has almost the value of a doctrine: to defend democracy against autocracy, the 46e President of the United States is prepared to take very great risks, including those involving his personal safety.
This point was poignantly illustrated when the air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital during Joe Biden’s visit. Media reported that these sirens were triggered by the takeoff of a Russian Mig fighter plane in Belarus, a country that shares a border with Ukraine to the north. A missile fired by a MiG from Belarus can hit a target in Kyiv in 20 minutes.
Joe Biden had arrived in the Ukrainian capital after a journey of several hours aboard a train from the Polish border. The White House had alerted Russian officials a few hours in advance of the arrival of the American president in the Ukrainian capital.
But the risk was not zero for the head of the White House, who took advantage of his presence in Kyiv to taunt the strongman of the Kremlin.
“Putin’s war of conquest is a failure,” said Joe Biden alongside Volodymyr Zelensky in the Mariinsky Palace, the Ukrainian president’s official residence.
“A year later, Kyiv is standing. And Ukraine is standing. Democracy is standing, ”added the one who will deliver a major speech in Warsaw on Tuesday while Vladimir Putin will speak in Moscow.
In the presence of Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky beamed.
“Thank you very much for coming, Mr. President, at an important time for Ukraine,” he said.
American aid
In the eyes of some US allies, this important moment, which follows staggering human and material losses, should encourage Ukraine to begin peace negotiations with Russia.
But Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv sent another message. Especially since it was accompanied by the announcement of additional American aid of 500 million dollars to Ukraine. In a press release, Joe Biden notably mentioned the delivery of artillery ammunition, anti-tank systems and air surveillance radars.
That said, that aid does not include the long-range weapons that Ukraine is asking for and which Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed with his American visitor.
Clearly, there are risks that Joe Biden is not yet ready to take to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
The danger of a military escalation no longer concerns only the country of Vladimir Putin. In recent days, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed concern that China is considering supplying arms to Russia, which Beijing has denied.
China, of course, is the other autocracy that concerns Joe Biden most, and perhaps even more so than Russia. No possible doubt: the historians of tomorrow will judge his presidency on the outcome of these battles waged against these countries in the name of democracy.
For the moment, this outcome is uncertain, contrary to the determination of Joe Biden. As written by washington postthe latter made “one of the most remarkable presidential trips in modern history”, visiting the capital of a country at war where the United States does not have a massive military presence, as c was the case in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Will that be enough to rally Americans who are increasingly skeptical of their country’s commitment to Ukraine?
Joe Biden’s message to Volodymyr Zelensky was also directed to them: “This goes far beyond Ukraine. It is about the freedom of democracy in Europe and the freedom of democracy in general. »