Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

March 24, 2022

The President. Good evening, everyone. With all the press that's here, you must be getting very tired. Am I the 16th or 17th? [Laughter] At any rate, all kidding aside, thank you for taking the time.

Iâtoday marks one month since Russia began its carnage in Ukraine, the brutal invasion of Ukraine. And we held a NATO summit the very next day. At that time, my overwhelming objective, wanting that summit, was to have absolute unity on three key important issues among our NATO and European allies.

First was to support Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance. Second was to impose the most significantâthe most significant sanctionsâeconomic sanction regime ever, in order to cripple Putin's economy and punish him for his actions. Third was to fortify the eastern flank of our NATO allies, who were obviously very, very concerned and somewhat atâworried at what would happen. We accomplished all three of these. And today, we're determined to sustain those efforts and to build on them.

The United States has committed to provide over $2 billion in military equipment to Ukraine since I became President: anti-air systems, anti-armor systems, ammunition. And our weapons are flowing into Ukraine as I speak. And today I'm announcing the United States have prepared to commit more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to help get relief to millions of Ukrainians affected by the war in Ukraine.

Many Ukrainian refugees will wish to stay in Europe, closer to their homes. But we've alsoâwill welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families. And we will invest $320 million to bolster democratic resilience and defend human rights in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We're also coordinating with the Gâ7 and the European Union on food security, as well as energy security, and I'll have more to say about that tomorrow.

We're also announcing new sanctions of more than 400 individuals and entities aligned withâin alignment with the European Union: more than 300 members of the Duma, oligarchs, and Russian defense companies that fuel the Russian war machine.

In addition to the 100,000 U.S. Forces now stationed in Europe to defend NATO territory, NATO established, as you already know, four new battle groups in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia to reinforce the eastern front. Putin was banking on NATO being split. In my early conversation with him in December and early January, it was clear to me he didn't think we could sustain this cohesion.

NATO has never, never been more united than it is today. Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into Ukraine. We built that same unity with our Europeanâthe European Union and with the leading democracies of the Gâ7âin the Gâ7.

So I want to thank you, and I'll be now happy to take your questions. Since there's so many people out there, I'm going toâI've been given a list.

Now, how about Chris [Chris Megerian] with the Associated Press? First question.

Russia's Potential Use of Chemical Weapons

Q. Hi. Thank you, Mr. President. So you've warned about the real threat of chemical weapons being used. Have you gathered specific intelligence that suggests that President Putin is deploying these weapons, moving them into position, or considering their use?

And would the U.S. or NATO respond with military action if he did use chemical weapons?

The President. You know, on the first question, I can't answer that. I'm not going to give you intelligence data, number one. Number two, we would respond. We would respond if he uses it. The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use.

Josh [Josh Wingrove] of Bloomberg.

Q. Perhaps I'll just project, Mr. President. Thank you very much.

The President. If I had your voice, I'd have been elected a lot earlier. [Laughter] [At this point, a microphone boom was extended toward Mr. Wingrove.]

China/Russia/Sanctions Enforcement/Potential Food Shortages

Q. Okay. I'll giveâI'll give it a try. It's got a long arm. Thank you.

Can you talk to us about two things, sir: One, since your conversation with President Xi of China, have you seen any indications of action or lack of action from China that has led you to believe whether they will intervene and help Russia either with the sale of arms or the provision of supplies to support this war in Ukraine?

And secondly, can you say whether thisâthe conversation today turned to the subject of food shortages, and what the U.S. will do to address wheat shortages, in particular, as a result of this war? Thank you.

The President. On the first question relating to President Xi Jinping of China, I had a very straightforward conversation with Xi, now, I guess, it's 6 days ago, 7 days ago, in that range. And I made it clear to himâI made no threats, but I made it clear to him thatâmake sure he understood the consequences of him helping Russia, as had been reported and as what was expected.

And I made no threats, but I pointed out the number of American and foreign corporations that left Russia as a consequence of their barbaric behavior. And I indicated that I knew how much heâbecause we had long discussions in the past about his interest in making sure he has economic relations and economic growth with Europe and the United Statesâand indicated that he'd be putting himself in significant jeopardy and thoseâin those aims if in fact he were to move forward.

I am not going to comment on any detail about what we know or don't know as a consequence of that conversation. But tomorrow isâis it tomorrow or next Monday that Ursula is having that conference with China?

White House aides. April 1.

The President. The 1stâon April 1.

We've had discussionsâbecause I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the West than it is to Russia. And so I'm hopeful that he does not get engaged.

We also did discuss today that there's a need for us to set up, NATO to set up, and the EUâ to set up a system whereby we have an organization looking at who has violated any of the sanctions and where and when and how they violated them. And that's something we're going to put in train. It's not done yet.

So, with regard to Xi, I have nothing more to report.

With regard to food shortage, yes, we did talk about food shortages. And it's going to be real.

The price of these sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia, it's imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well. Andâbecause both Russia and Ukraine have been the breadbasket of Europe in terms of wheat, for exampleâjust to give you one example.

But we had a long discussion in the Gâ7 with theâwith both the United States, which has a significantâthe third largest producer of wheat in the worldâas well as Canada, which is also a major, major producer. And we both talked about how we could increase and disseminate more rapidlyâfood shortages.

And in addition to that, we talked about urging all the European countries and everyone else to end trade restrictions on sendingâlimitations on sending food abroad. And so we are in the process of working out, with our European friends, what it would beâwhat it would take to help alleviate the concerns relative to food shortages.

We also talked about a significant, major U.S. investment, among others, in terms of providing forâthe need for humanitarian assistance, including food, as we move forward.

Tarini [Tarini Parti] of the Wall Street Journal. Watch out you don't get hit in the head there now. [*Laughter*]

Russia's Membership in the Group of Twenty (Gâ20) Nations

Q. Mr. President, in your view, does President Zelenskyy need to cede any Ukrainian territory in order to gain a cease-fire with Russia? Or is that completely off the table?

And then also, do you think that Russia needs to be removed from the Gâ20?

The President. On the latter point, my answer is yes. That depends on the Gâ20. Iâthat was raised today. And I raised the possibility, if that can't be doneâif Indonesia and others do not agreeâthen we should, in my view, ask to have both Ukraine be able to attend the meetings, as well asâwell, basically, Ukraine being able to attend the Gâ20 meeting and observe.

With regard toâwhat was the first question?

Ukraine

Q. If you think that Ukraine needs to ceaseâto give up any territory in order to get a cease-

fire.

The President. That is a total judgment based on Ukraine. "Nothing about Ukraine without

Ukraine." I don't believe that they're going to have to do that, but that's a judgment. There's negotiationsâthat are discussions, I should sayâthat have taken place that I have not been part of, including Ukrainians. And it's their judgment to make.

Cecilia [Cecilia Vega], ABC. There you are. Oops. [*Laughter*]

Russia/Ukraine/North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Q. Ohâ[inaudible]. Thank you.

Sir, you've made it very clear in this conflict that you do not want to see World War III. But is it possible that, in expressing that so early, that you were too quick to rule out direct military intervention in this war? Could Putin have been emboldened, knowing that you were not going to get involved directly in this conflict?

The President. No and no.

Q. You do not believe that?

And to clarify, on chemical weapons: Couldâif chemical weapons were used in Ukraine, would that trigger a military response from NATO?

The President. It would trigger a response in kind, whether or notâyou're asking whether NATO would cross; we'd make that decision at the time.

U.S. Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine

Q. And my final question: Because you're heading to Poland tomorrow, do you think that getting a firsthand look at the effects of this war on these millions of Ukrainians who have fled their country could change the way that you might respond?

The President. I don't think so, because I've been to many, many war zones. I've been in refugee camps. I've been in war zones for the last 15 years. And it's devastating. And whatâthe thing you look at the most is you see these young children, you see children without parents that are in those camps or inâor refugees. You see women and husbandsâmen and women who are completely lost and have noâyou see the lookâthat blank look on their face, that absolute feeling of: "My God, where am I? What's going to happen to me?"

And so itâwhat it will do, it will reinforce my commitment to have the United States make sure we are a major piece of dealing with the relocation of all those folks, as well as humanitarian assistance needed both inside Ukraine and outside Ukraine.

For example, this is not something that Poland or Romania or Germany should carry on their own. This is an international responsibility. And the United States, as the leaderâone of the leaders in the international community, has an obligation to be engagedâto be engaged and do all we can to ease the suffering and pain of innocent women and children, and men, for that matter, throughout Ukraine and those who have made it across the border.

I plan on attempting to see those folks, as well as I hope I'm going to be able to seeâI guess I'm not supposed to say where I'm going, am I? [*Laughter*] But anyway, I hope I get to see a lot of people. [*Laughter*]

Markus [Markus Becker] with Der Spiegel.

Upcoming Presidential and Congressional Elections/Impact of Elections on the President's Policies/U.S. Credibility in Global Affairs

Q. Thanks, Mr. President. There's a Presidential election coming up in 2024. And as you know, there are wideââ

The President. You're kidding.

Q. Yes. [Laughter] That's true. And there are widespread concerns in Europe that a figure like your predecessor, maybe even your predecessor himself, might get elected President again. So, are there any steps, anything you're trying to do and NATO is trying to do here, these days, to prevent what you're trying to do becoming undone 2 years from now? Thank you.

The President. No, Iâthat's not how I think of this. I've been dealing with foreign policy for longer than anybody that's involved in this process right now. I have no concerns about the impactâI made a commitment when I ran this time. I wasn't going to run again, and I mean that sincerely.

I had no intention of running for President again andâuntil I saw those folks coming out of the fields in Virginia carrying torches and carrying Nazi banners and literally singing the same

vile rhyme that they used in Germany in the early twentiesâor thirties, I should say. And then, when the gentleman you mentioned was asked what he thoughtâand a young woman was killed, a protesterâand he askedâwas asked what he thought, he said, "There are very good people on both sides." And that's when I decided I wasn't going to be quiet any longer.

And when I ran this timeâand I think the American press, whether they look at me favorably or unfavorably, acknowledge thisâI made a determination: Nothing is worthâno election is worth my not doing exactly what I think is the right thing. Not a joke. I'm too long in the tooth to fool with this any longer.

And so we're a long way off in electionsâa long way off. My focus of any election is on making sure that we retain the House and the United States Senate so that I have the room to continue to do the things that I've been able to do in terms of grow the economy and deal in a rational way with American foreign policy and lead the worldâlead theâbe the leader of the free world.

Soâbut it's not aâit's not an illogical question for someone to ask. I say to people at home: Imagine if we sat and watched the doors of the Bundestag broken down and police officers killed and hundreds of people storming in, or imagine if we saw that happening in the British Parliament or whatever. How would we feel?

And one of the things that I take some solace from is, I don't think you'll find any European leader who thinks that I am not up to the job. And I mean that sincerely. It's not like, "Whoa." It's thatâthe point is that whenâthe first Gâ7 meeting I attended, like the one I did today, was in Great Britain. And I sat down, and I said, "America is back." And one of theâone of my counterparts, colleagues, a head of state, said, "For how long?" "For how long?"

And so I don't blameâI don't criticize anybody for asking that question. But the next election, I'd be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me.

Thank you very, very much.

Q. Mr. Presidentâ[inaudible].

Q. You said one final questionââ

[*Several reporters began asking questions at once.*]

The President. [Laughter] Whoa, whoa, whoa. Noâyes, one final question. Right.

Q. [Inaudible]

The President. Hey, well, waitâhold on a second, please. I was supposed to be, an hour ago, at the European Union meeting andâto speak.

Q. Thank you, Mr. President.

The President. No, I'm thanking you. [Laughter] Someone I haven't called on before. You.

Q. You haven't called on me, Mr. President.

Q. Mr. Presidentââ

The President. Who are you?

Q. I'm Christina Ruffini from CBS. Thank you, sir.

The President. Okay.

International and U.S. Sanctions on Russia/Ukraine/Importance of Unity With Allies

Q. Sir, deterrence didn't work. What makes you think Vladimir Putin will alter course based on the action you've taken today?

The President. Let's get something straight: You remember, if you've covered me from the beginning, I did not say that in fact the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that.

Sanctions never deter. The maintenance of sanctionsâthe maintenance of sanctionsâthe increasing the pain, and the demonstrationâwhy I asked for this NATO meeting todayâis to be sure that after a month, we will sustain what we're doing not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of this entire year. That's what will stop him.

Q. Do you believe the actions today will have an impact on making Russia change course in Ukraine?

The President. That's not what I said. Youâyou're playing a game with me.

Q. [Inaudible]

The President. I know. The answer is no.

I think what happens is, we have to demonstrateâthe purposeâthe single most important thing is for us to stay unified, and the world continue to focus on what a brute this guy is and all the innocent people's lives that are being lost and ruined, and what's going on. That's the important thing.

But look, if you're Putin and you think that theâthat Europe is going to crack in a month, 6 weeks or 2 months, why notâthey can take anything for another month. But we have to demonstrateâthe reason I asked for the meetingâwe have to stay fully, totally, thoroughly united.

Thank you.

Q. Mr. Presidentââ

Q. Mr. Presidentâ[inaudible].

NOTE: The President spoke at 6:32 p.m. at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters. In his remarks, he referred to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia; President of the Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission; and former President Donald J. Trump. A reporter referred to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

Categories: Interviews With the News Media : News conferences :: March 24. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Trump, Donald J.; von der Leyen, Ursula; Xi Jinping.

Subjects: Agriculture : Food shortages due to conflict in Ukraine, mitigation efforts; Arms and munitions : Chemical and biological weapons; Belgium : Brussels :: President Biden's visit; China : President; China : Relations with Russia; Commerce, international : Group of Seven (Gâ 7) nations; Commerce, international : Group of Twenty (Gâ20) nations; Communications : News media :: Presidential interviews; Defense and national security : Intelligence; District of Columbia : 2021 civil unrest and violence at U.S. Capitol; Economy, national : Strengthening efforts; Elections : 2022 congressional elections; Europe : Defense relationship with U.S. ; Europe : European Union :: European Commission President; Foreign policy, U.S. : Civil and human rights, promotion efforts; Foreign policy, U.S. : Democratization; Immigration and naturalization : Refugees; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Russia : International and U.S.

sanctions; Russia : President; Russia : Relations with China; Russia : Ukraine, airstrikes and invasion; Ukraine : Refugees, humanitarian situation; Ukraine : Russian airstrikes and invasion; Ukraine : U.S. assistance.

DCPD Number: DCPD202200197.