White House forced to correct Biden after hinted US troops WOULD be sent into Ukraine in slip in speech to paratroopers in Poland
- White House clarified on Friday that American troops would not go to Ukraine
- Followed Biden's comments to the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland
- 'You’re going to see when you’re there... you’re going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank,' he said
- Biden's mention of 'when you're there' seem to suggest troops would be sent in
- But the White House insisted the stance on US boots on the ground is the same
- Biden also brought up his late son's Beau tours in Iraq during his remarks
- He also told paratroopers 'don't jump' and suggested some might think lines in the Declaration of Independence are 'corny'
- Later he referred to the war and the courage of the Ukrainian people as 'Tiananmen Square squared'
- He added he wanted to go into Ukraine, but was told he wasn't allowed
By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN WARSAW
PUBLISHED: 07:14 AEDT, 26 March 2022 | UPDATED: 07:29 AEDT, 26 March 2022
The White House was forced to clarify on Friday that American troops would not be going into Ukraine after President Biden appeared to make a slip that there could be boots on the ground in his speech to paratroopers in Poland.
'You’re going to see when you’re there – some of you have been there – you’re going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank, saying, "I’m not leaving",' Biden said in a speech to the 82nd Airborne Division.
Biden's mention of 'when you're there' seem to suggest that the troops would be deployed across the border, but the administration insisted there has been no change in stance.
'The president has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position,' a White House spokesperson told Fox News on Friday.
Biden has persistently said that troops would not be sent into Ukraine under any circumstances during Putin's invasion, fearing it would turn into World War Three and end up becoming a lengthy combat mission like in Afghanistan.
Biden also talked about his late son Beau and thanked the paratroopers for their service in the during the remarks in Rzeszów.
The president recalled when he went to Iraq in 2009 to visit Beau, who was stationed there as part of his service in the Delaware National Guard, he discovered his son was using the last name Hunter.
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The White House was forced to clarify on Friday that American troops would not be going into Ukraine after President Biden appeared to make a slip in his speech to paratroopers in Poland
'You’re going to see when you’re there – some of you have been there – you’re going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank, saying, "I’m not leaving".' Biden's mention of 'you're there' seem to suggest that the troops would be deployed across the border, but the administration insisted there has been no change in stance
Biden said asked what was going on. Beau told his dad that the name 'Biden' could be a hassle where he was, and so was instead going by 'Hunter.'
Hunter was the maiden name of Beau's mother, who died in a car crash in 1972. It's also the name of his younger brother, the president's only living son Hunter.
Biden regularly mentions his late son when he visits service members. And Thursday's trip to visit the 82nd Airborne Division he deployed to Europe during Russia's invasion of the Ukraine was no exception.
The president ate pizza and took selfies during his visit.
'You are the finest fighting force in the world and that's not hyperbole,' Biden said before sitting down on a folding chair to eat.
'Don’t stop eating because of me,' he said when he walked into the cafeteria and saw the paratroopers munching on the pie provided by the White House.
Biden also visited the barber shop, where one of the service men suggested that maybe Biden should finish the haircut. Biden laughed and said that was the last thing the young man would want.
And he made jokes with the division that specializes in parachute assault operations.
'Don't jump. You guys are used to jumping. Don't jump. Anyway, thanks for letting me come to say hello to you all,' he told the room full of service members.
He praised them for their duty, telling them they upheld the values seen in the American Declaration of Independence.
'You know, we're a unique country in many ways. And we are the only country, the only country in the world not organized based on geography, ethnicity, raced or anything else. We're based on idea. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all women and men are created equal. Sounds corny, it's the truth of who we are,' he said.
Biden was joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, at one point reaching along a table to grab his hand and explain that a 'pizza pie' with hot peppers was making him cough
Biden says he was told he couldn't cross the border into Ukraine and refers to invasion and civilian courage as 'Tiananmen Square squared'
During a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda later on Friday, he reached for new words and analogies to find ways to try to describe the horrors Ukrainians are facing Thursday – comparing blown out landscapes to something 'out of a science fiction movie.'
After landing in Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border, Biden also spoke to the bravery of Ukrainian citizens rising up to try to counter the Russian invasion,' comparing them to protesters who resisted a Chinese government crackdown.
At an event where he was briefed on efforts to coordinate the humanitarian response, Biden spoke of the 'courage and passion for resilience of the Ukrainian people.'
'When you see a 30-year old woman standing there in front of a tank with a rifle. I mean, talk about what happened in Tiananmen Square? This is Tiananmen Square, squared,' Biden said.
He was referencing the iconic 1989 image where a lone man stood in front of a tank to try to stop the government crackdown.
There have been similar scenes in Ukraine, where ordinary citizens used their bodies and and personal appeals to try to stop Russian armor – even as Ukrainian troops take a toll of their by blowing up Russian equipment with arms provided by the U.S. and allies.
'It's like something out of a science fiction movie': President Joe Biden described some of the horrific images emerging from Ukraine
The president cited UN figures saying 12 million Ukrainians need assistance, with thousands of civilian casualties since the invasion a month ago.
'Hundreds of thousands of people are being cut off from health by Russian forces and are being besieged in places like Mariupol. I mean, it's not stopping. It's like something out of a science fiction movie. Turn on the television and see what these towns look like, and cities,' he said.
He spoke on a day when new video emerged of the destruction inside a theater in Mariupol, where Ukrainian authorities said 300 people had died in the Russian attack. Images after the building was struck show Ukrainian women and children covered in dust trying to leave the once stately building.
Biden also spoke Friday to members of the storied 182nd Airborne Division – lauding troops for both assisting in relief and helping protect NATO's eastern flank amid. The administration says officials are preparing for 'contingencies' should Russia try attack NATO territory to try to stop efforts to arm the Ukrainians.
Biden alluded to his many past trips to war zones, some during his decades as a senator.
The war has brought devastation on Kiev and other cities. Firefighters work at a factory destroyed after it was hit by Russian shelling in Chaiky district of Kyiv, Ukraine on 24 March, 2022
Black smoke rises from a fuel storage of the Ukrainian army following a Russian attack, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, March 25, 2022
'When you see a 30-year old woman standing there in front of a tank with a rifle. I mean, talk about what happened in Tiananmen Square? This is Tiananmen Square, squared,' Biden said of the Ukraine invasion
'Quite frankly, part of my disappointment is that I can't see it firsthand like I have in other places. They will not let me understandably I guess cross the border and take a look at what’s going on in Ukraine,' he said.
Biden does plan to meet with Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw on Friday.
Biden was joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, at one point reaching along a table to grab his hand and explain that a 'pizza pie' with hot peppers was making him cough.
Duda, who suffered an apparent aircraft mishap earlier in the day, thanked U.S. troops for providing security and U.S.-based NGOs who were aiding relief efforts. He called the estimated 2 million Ukrainian refugees in his country 'guests.'
Of U.S. troops, he said: 'They are guarding the security of the Polish border and guarding the security also of the entire European community.
In images from the start of the invasion, Ukrainians were filmed blocking Russian armor while screaming 'invaders, killers' and ordering them to stop. One video showed a group of fearless Ukrainians leaping on a Russian military vehicle while waving blue and yellow flags.
A second piece of footage from Kupiansk, near Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, appears to show at least 30 Ukrainians running and jumping on a Russian armoured vehicle - with one man attempting to smash in the windscreen