The President turned to face the stands.
– Stand up. Welcome, welcome, welcome! said Biden to Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).
The president spoke of the United States as a founding member of the NATO defense alliance — an organization created by democracies after World War II to prevent war.
– Today we have made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland last year and this morning Sweden joined and their prime minister is here tonight, Biden said in the speech.
– You know how to fight. Welcome to the world’s strongest military alliance. I say this to Congress, we must stand up to Putin.
Kristersson was specially invited to see the speech by the first lady Jill Biden and he was given the location right next to her in the audience stand.
Biden’s State of the Union speech opened with Russia’s war in Ukraine and he urged Congress to vote through a military aid package.
– If anyone thinks that Putin will stop at Ukraine, I can assure you that he will not, said Biden.
– Ukraine can stop Putin – if we stand by Ukraine and provide them with weapons to defend themselves with.