President Biden addresses the Class of 2024 at the Military Academy’s graduation ceremony in West Point, N.Y., on Saturday
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President Biden addressed the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East directly in his first commencement address as commander in chief at West Point on Saturday.
“There has never been a time in history where we’ve asked our military to do so many different things at the same time in so many different places around the world,” Biden said at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
In a speech to the Army’s newest officers, the president reiterated his commitment to confronting tyrants and threats to peace, freedom and openness. He vowed support for Ukraine and called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, including the return of all hostages. Biden also blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for exacerbating regional conflicts.
He concluded his speech by urging graduates to uphold the oath they took at West Point.
“On your first day at West Point, you raised your right hand and took an oath,” he said. “Not against a political party, not against the president, but against the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Biden’s comments come as U.S. foreign policy has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly as it relates to Israel’s war in Gaza. At last week’s commencement ceremony at Morehouse College, some students turned their backs to Biden during his commencement speech in protest.
Biden says US is ‘firm’ on Ukraine
In his speech, Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine, adding that Russian forces could not compete with the full power of NATO.
The president vowed that the United States would continue its efforts to train Ukrainian soldiers in the use of advanced weapons systems and teach Ukrainian medical personnel about tactical combat and casualty care. But again, Biden emphasized that he does not plan to deploy U.S. troops to the front lines.
“There are no American soldiers fighting in Ukraine, and I am determined to keep it that way,” he said. “But we stand firmly with Ukraine and we will stand with them.”
Biden cites U.S. role in Middle East
Biden also spoke highly of U.S. engagement in the Middle East, praising the airdrop of food to Gaza and diplomatic efforts with Arab countries in the region. He made no mention of Israel’s war in Gaza, saying only that he supported “an immediate ceasefire and allowing the hostages to go home.”
Instead, Biden focused on the U.S.’s swift response to Iran, describing how the U.S. helped intercept missiles and drones during Iran’s attack on Israel last month. He also briefly addressed a drone strike by Iranian-backed militants in Jordan that killed three U.S. reservists and wounded several other U.S. service members.
“When someone targets American troops, we will seek justice for them. Earlier this year, three heroic members of the U.S. Army Reserve were killed in a drone strike in northeast Jordan,” Biden said.
