Biden says he 'will not bow down to Putin,' will maintain backing for Ukraine

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden said Thursday that he will remain a stalwart ally of Ukraine and will work to marshal international support as Kyiv continues to confront an ongoing Russian invasion.

The president said that during meetings with his NATO allies in Washington, he made it clear that he "will not bow down to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

"I will not walk away from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong. That's exactly what we did, and exactly what we'll continue to do," he told reporters during a tightly-watched press conference.

"For those who thought NATO's time had passed, they got a rude awakening when Putin invaded Ukraine. Some of the oldest and deepest fears in Europe roared back to life, because once again, a murderous madman was on the march," he added, referring to the Russian president.

Much of this week's summit focused squarely on Ukraine and ensuring Kyiv has what it needs to defend itself to eventually oust Russia from the territories it continues to occupy after two years of grueling war.

The announcements made this week culminated with the signing of what is known as the Ukraine Compact, which is a shared pledge among 22 NATO allies and partners to ensure Ukraine has what it needs in the long term.

Additional weapons transfers were also announced, including the provision of five Patriot air defense systems, and the announcement that F-16 fighter jets long-sought by Zelenskyy are on their way to Ukraine and will be flying above the war-torn nation’s skies this summer.