President Joe Biden sent a message to China and Russia while paying tribute to fallen service members and his late son Beau.
“I had a long conversation for two hours recently with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping], making it clear to him that we could do nothing but speak out for human rights around the world because that’s who we are,” Biden said during a Memorial Day service in Delaware on Sunday.
He continued, “I’ll be meeting with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin in a couple weeks in Geneva making it clear that we will not stand by and let him abuse those rights.”
Watch his remarks below:
Paying tribute to his late son, Biden explained, “In the first year of his passing back in 2016, Gen. Vavala did a great honor in inviting us to a ceremony renaming the Delaware National Guard headquarters in Beau’s honor.”
The president went on to express his appreciation to service members and their families, “So I can’t thank you enough for your continued service to the country and your sons, your daughters, they live on in your hearts and in their children as well.”
He added, “We have to carry on without them. But I know how hard it is for you. Beau didn’t die in the line of duty, but he was serving in Delaware National Guard unit in Iraq for a year. That was one of the proudest things he did in his life. So thank you for allowing us to grieve together today.”
Biden called the military community the “solid spine” of the United States.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced last week Biden would be meeting with Putin next month, as IJR reported.
“President Biden will meet with President Putin in Geneva, Switzerland on June 16, 2021. The leaders will discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.-Russia relationship,” she said in a statement.