President Joe Biden stumbled in a speech to American troops stationed in Poland on Friday, previewing what they would see when they arrived in Ukraine.
“You’re going to see, when you’re there, and some of you have been there, you’re going to see women, young people, standing in front of a damn tank just saying, ‘I’m not leaving, I’m holding my ground,’” Biden said. “They’re incredible.”
The president spoke to a small group of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division stationed in the Polish city of Rzeszow.
Biden repeatedly spoke about Ukraine to the troops, telling them they were there to support the Ukrainian people, even though he has repeatedly promised not to send American troops into the country.
“What’s at stake, not just that what we’re doing here in Ukraine to try to help the Ukrainian people and keep the massacre from continuing,” he said. “Beyond that, what is at stake, is what are your kids and grandkids going to look like in terms of their freedom.”
Biden told the American troops they were in a generational fight against the forces of autocrats.
“What you’re engaged in is much more than just whether or not you can alleviate the pain and suffering of the people of Ukraine. We’re in a new phase, your generation, we’re in an inflection point,” he said.
