White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says that comments made by President Joe Biden about going to war were not indicative of a change in policy.
During a press conference on Wednesday, a reporter noted, “Today, as he was talking about his vow to stand by Ukrainians, he added a line, ‘And by the way, if I’ve got to go to war, I’m going with you guys.'”
“Can you clarify what that meant?” she asked.
Psaki responded, “He has no intention of sending boot troops to the ground or fighting a war with U.S. forces against Russia.”
“That was a reflection of his long love for labor unions, and members of labor unions, and the building and trades workers who were there, and people who he would always love to be in the fox hole with, not an indication of a change in U.S. policy,” she added.
Watch the video below:
Psaki walks back Biden's comment that "If I've got to go to war, I'm going with you guys" was actually just "a reflection of his long love for labor unions." pic.twitter.com/qLEPf2kuLu
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2022
Biden touched on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine while speaking to members of the Building Trades Unions on Wednesday.
“Today, Kyiv still stands, and that government still presides. This fight is far from over,” he said.
He continued, “This war could continue for a long time, but the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom. I just want you to know that.”
“And by the way, if I’ve got to go to war, I’m going with you guys. I mean it,” Biden joked.
In case you missed it:
Biden: "This war could continue for a long time, but the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom. I just want you to know that."
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 6, 2022
"And by the way, if I've got to go to war, I'm going with you guys." pic.twitter.com/dslmD1uYem
Biden has previously vowed that the U.S would not send troops to Ukraine.
In February, after he announced new sanctions against Russia, the president said, “Our forces are not and will not be engaged in the conflict.”
“Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine but to defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies in the east,” he added.
However, he said the U.S. would defend NATO territory if a member nation was attacked.
Speaking in Poland last month, Biden said, “We have a sacred obligation under Article 5 to defend each and every inch of NATO territory with the full force of our collective power.”