U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a blunt message to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 24, telling the gathering that Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine had "failed at its core aim," and he urged members of the world body meeting to continue supporting Kyiv.
Putin "set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free," Biden said in his last address as U.S. president to the annual UNGA in New York City.
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"The world has to choose whether to sustain support for Ukraine or walk away from that aggression. My answer is we will not let up on our support for Ukraine," Biden said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was among the leaders present as Biden spoke, previously called for the UNGA to discuss Russia's attacks on his country.
"We just need to stop the terror. To have security. To have a future. We need Russia to end this criminal and unprovoked aggression that violates all global rules," Zelenskiy said.
Biden also spoke about the war in Gaza, urging Israel and Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, to finalize a cease-fire proposal that Washington has worked on for months with partner countries in the region.
"Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms," he said of the deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Biden said the world "must not flinch from the horrors of October 7" -- the date that Hamas raided southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, who Biden said are "going through hell" along with innocent civilians in Gaza.
But at the same time it must recognize that the deal put forth by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt will "bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza free from Hamas's grip, ease the suffering in Gaza, and end this war.
He also warned against "full-scale war" in Lebanon, where hostilities have shifted and where hundreds of people were killed the day before in Israeli strikes aimed at rooting out militants belonging to Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, and their ammunition stocks.
SEE ALSO: Israel's Deadly Strikes On Lebanon Mark Start Of New War"Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said, also stressing that the UN must work to ensure that Iran "will never, ever obtain a nuclear weapon."
Biden, 81, who in July decided against seeking a second term as president, clearing the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, struck a note of optimism during his speech.
He said he had seen much despair in the world over his time as a U.S. senator, vice president, and president, but the world has the capacity for reconciliation.
"There will always be forces pulling us apart," he said. "Our test is that the forces that are holding us together are stronger than the forces pulling us apart."