US: Biden sees reason to believe ‘this country is in decline’

No congratulations from the Kremlin
Biden warns against the struggle for democracy

06/07/2022, 11:39 AM (Updated)

On Independence Day, US President Joe Biden warned his citizens not to take democracy for granted – and he called for unity. The Democrat combines his wishes with criticism of the country’s Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Biden will not receive any kind mail from Moscow.

US President Joe Biden called on his citizens to unite on America’s Independence Day. “I know that many Americans look around today and see a divided country and are deeply concerned about that,” Biden said in a speech at the White House Monday night marking National Day. “I understand that. But I think we are more united than we are divided. What’s more, I think it’s a choice we make and I think we can commit ourselves to making the decision to unite.”

“Liberty is under attack here and abroad,” Biden said. In recent days, there has been reason to believe that “this country is going backwards, that freedom is restricted, and the rights we thought were protected no longer apply.” Biden was referring to controversial decisions of the US Supreme Court, which recently struck down abortion rights, among other things. The US president warned that democracy is not guaranteed. “We have to fight for them.”

No congratulations from the Kremlin

Outraged by what he sees as US anti-Russia policy, Kremlin President Vladimir Putin did not congratulate his colleague Joe Biden on US Independence Day this year. “No, a congratulatory telegram will not be sent this year,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Interfax as saying. “This is because this year has become the culmination of unfriendly policies towards our country by the United States,” he said. “Therefore, sending such a congratulatory message under these circumstances can hardly be considered appropriate.”

Russia-US relations, already strained in recent years, have been at rock bottom since Russia’s attack on Ukraine in late February.

(This article was first published on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.)