the italians are dependent on russian energy. depending on what country you're talking to you get a different answer and agenda. talking about what they could potentially do next, all we have seen essentially is an agreement to diversify, try to find in the next several years a way to diversify away from russian energy sources. also in the last 24 hours after a very very long meeting, i've heard that it was quite a long slog, they decided to potentially do price caps. >> hadley, here comes -- hadley here comes rude interruption from me. just a moment, let's take a listen as we listen to bells ringing there at the presidential palace in advance of the president. presidential pe of the president well, apparently we were able to hear the bells, they're no longer ringing and again that's

the presidential castle, not the palace, i want to make that distinction, and as we look at that sea of people awaiting the arrival of president biden, you see quite a beautiful backdrop setting for the president to make this speech that will be listened to by people around the world. those two large american and polish flags there draping, showing the unity between these two countries. hadley, i'm sorry to have cut you off, but i want to ask you, shannon, at this point, the crowd there, when we spoke with you, and it was a little lighter, i'll admit in the last hour, but about how many people do you think have gathered and what do you think the tenor is? is there a excitement, is there -- are people rather tenuously awaiting what this president will say out of fear or trying to make sure that he's going to deliver help to the polish people as they take in so many refugees? >> yeah, well, i mean, the audience here of course is a domestic audience. of course it is a global audience, but part of the president's message in these past two days in poland has been

to the polish people as you note there. there is an awareness, and a trepidation here now that -- and of course with the developments of the last hour or so with bombs now striking, or missiles striking lviv, just about 45 miles from the polish border, they are on the front lines, not only of a military conflict but of course a humanitarian crisis as well, which is something the president has been seeing firsthand. a big part of the president's message has been to reassure and thank the polish people and reassure the u.s. will be there to support them militarily under their commitments with nato, and also from a humanitarian aspect of this refugee crisis. many broadly speak, though, the president's message from the speech, a big theme of this trip has been trying to unite the western allies behind this pressure campaign. they are trying to put on russia. a big focus of this speech is going to be trying to rally support and of course many many countries out there are

supporting ukraine, but to push them to increase their support, and to sustain that support because we have heard white house officials say it is one thing to support a country in the early weeks and months. it is one thing to take in refugees and provide them assistance in those early weeks, but to sustain this, that is another thing. and the white house and white house officials continue to indicate that they do believe this is going to be a conflict that could potentially stretch on for months longer and only escalate. that is the type of ground work the president is trying to lay with his speech today. >> those of you watching right now to the left of shannon, you probably surmised that was the presidential motorcade heading to that presidential casino there will in warsaw. we're told it was about a ten-minute drive from where the president had taken off. but we done know exactly where that tunnel was, so he may be very close proximity, and that speech was supposed to start just a couple of minutes ago.

virtually on time here if he takes to the podium shortly. as we await the president's arrival, let me ask you how you think the president's speech will be measured and to whom you believe the most important audience is? we see lots of polish people presumably this that audience that shannon was talking about. the president needs to reassure them but of course the message extends far beyond poland. what should be top of mind for you that he needs to get across today? >> alex, i think there's two primary audiences, as you said, the people of poland and the rest of the free world as we know it. the other audience that i think is going to be listening very very closely is the russians. they're going to be primarily vladimir putin and his ruling circle. and they're going to be looking not only for the words. they're going to be looking at the body language. they're going to be looking at the sincerity that the president

emotes as he makes these statements. we -- as we mentioned before, you know, a united europe with the united states as a full participant in not only the defense of europe but with strong support to the ukrainian people is a significant story that the russians are trying to come to grips with. so he will do that. he's got any prayers of support. he's our president, but he's also one of the leaders of europe, nato, and ukraine. >> hadley i want to pick up on what colonel was saying about that message and how it will get to russia as we see people doing their what's called a white balance, and they're letting the cameras get all situated which means the president is not too far away from that podium. but hadley, you have spent time

and as a matter of fact i've interviewed you a couple of weeks ago when you were in moscow proper. what are the chances that anybody over russian state television will see anything from this president? the colonel suggested it's going to be heard certainly by vladimir putin and military leadership, but is there any chance that the russian people will hear part of this speech? >> reporter: this is an excellent question, alex, and it's something i actually asked the coo of facebook, sheryl sandberg, i was asking her specifically. what can we expect the russian people to hear at this point? because as you say, they have been cut off from so many different channels of social media that one has to wonder what really in terms of the factual case gets back to them. at the end of the day, 2/3 of these people are unbanked, talking about millions of people who eventually are going to feel the economic sting of what's been happening as a direct result of the invasion of ukraine. i had a chance to ask various

people, coos of gas companies, foreign minister of turkey. this is a man who has destroyed his committee. at some point people will notice potentially they are not getting the entire full story of what's happening beyond their borders in ukraine, the rest of the west, in europe, and you've got to wonder about that. we know and understand that the media is very much controlled by the kremlin. people that we speak to on a real basis essentially saying we can't get the real story. if we didn't have access to external sights, we wouldn't know what is going on, and i think that is reflected, not just in the idea of what people are informed about on the ground there but also in the idea of the silo, if you will, that the kremlin is in at this point. they're only hearing their own information again and again. and i actually think when i was sitting in a week ago with that foreign minister's meeting with sergey lavrov, the russian foreign minister, you saw that in his answers to me.

he was towing the kremlin line. when i spoke with the foreign minister of turkey, he said to me, listen, this is not the sergey lavrov that we have known over 20 years as a major international diplomat. this is a man hearing the same message, and if you will, drinking the kool-aid of vladimir putin. >> that is an interesting observation, and not surprising having listened to statements by sergey lavrov and other elements of russian leadership. let me ask you behind the scenes what you're hearing from the unity of nato, and how that unified -- that was projected that unified image. was there anything going on behind the scenes that had to twist arms, whether economically or diplomatically, did you hear anything about that? >> reporter: it's tough, alex, because at the end of the day, we're talking about multiple countries with competing agendas. nato can talk all they want

about their unity. at the end of the day, it's all about their economy, whether they can sustain an economic level of output that guarantees them votes. the people running the countries are the ones we see at the nato meetings. one of the things that people tend to forget, oh, nato, amazing alliance, it's been held together for decades now. it's been under funded for a long time. the united states has been making up the bulk of nato, spending, as well as the majority troops to the nato alliance of 140,000 folks that have been deployed thus far, 100,000 are american troops. you've got to remember that these folks are not used to putting forward their own money and people when it comes to defending europe's security. that's what we're talking about at this point. there's a reason the president is in poland. he's in poland because we're talking about the potential of further action by vladimir putin that could impact eastern europe and we talk about poland for that reason. i think it's interesting, when we think about the disparate

agendas, germany has a real problem. they have to import 60% of their energy, and they are the engine of growth in europe. if there's anyone that creates growth in europe, that's germany. talking about debt crises, and what's happening in greece and italy, and the southern european states that don't have the eyes on if you will of the economies we see in northern europe. that is a problem. at the end of the day, they have to take the bulk of the pain because they're in bed with russian energy, and also the ones that don't have the ability to flip the switch, full. they can't take this wonderful idea of u.s. l and g to europe because there's no way to directly import it, and. >> yep. >> they do not have -- >> hadley. >> we're talking about a heck of a lot of money they're going to have to spend. >> 100%. >> we're seeing movement on the dais. we want to report this breaking news. i'm being told there have been

two more explosions near lviv. we're going to nbc's ali arouzi to give us the latest from there. what are you hearing, ali. >> reporter: just in the last five minutes or so, we heard another one or two explosions in a different direction to the first one. it was, again, followed by black smoke. i can't confirm what it is. we haven't heard any confirmation from officials here. there were two big booms. much smaller plume of smoke but it came there. you can probably hear the emergency services are all heading to that direction that i'm looking in now. fire trucks, security cars, under cover cars have their sirens blaring, heading there. much more unusual than we have seen before. those explosions in the previous days were fairly isolated. this has been a sequence in the last couple of hours. when we have more about what this could possibly be, i'll tell you, but i don't want to speculate at this point what it could have been but i have to

stress, again, this is much smaller than the first one we saw, but none the less, it was another explosion in a different direction of lviv. we don't know what the target was or hit by. this has been a succession of explosions in the last three hours, in and around lviv. that does appear to be changing somewhat now, and given what the russian general has said this morning that they were going to concentrate on the donbas region. that may have been a little premature to think that all of these other places are in complete safety. we'll keep you updated. >> it would certainly appear lviv is under siege. given so many that have taken refuge there, let alone those who have live there had and tried to carry on with their lives. when you get information, let us know. we're going to be taking the president's speech in just a moment. before we take to the podium.

one more check with josh lederman, joining us from warsaw, and in anticipation of the speech, josh, do you know -- have you gotten a readout, by the way, of the speech, although i should say that ben rhodes, a former speech writer had mentioned to me that it's the kind of speech, given the circumstances of this day, it may have been being written in that motorcade on the way actually to the presidential castle given all the late developments. >> reporter: that's right, and we know president biden will be revising his speeches up to the point he gives it. we are learning a little bit more about this speech, that it's going to be roughly a half hour that the president will speak. we're also learning more about who is in the audience with the white house officials saying that ukrainian refugees have been invited to personally attend this speech. that's obviously an important symbolic move as they try to make clear what is at stake here. this is the opportunity that

president biden has to wrap all of this together, the humanitarian, the fight between democracy and authoritarianism, the security threat not only for ukraine but all of the countries in europe and the nato alliance as well. after this speech, president biden is going to go back home where americans have been watching this war for more than a month now, and the president will have other items on his agenda. he's going to have to get his supreme court nominee through a successful vote. they are running out of covid funds, all of the other items on the agenda, and this is the chance that president biden has to make clear what the stakes are, why it is important that the u.s. is standing so firmly with its allies and trying to do what it can in ukraine. but it is also the opportunity for president biden to explain to people who are watching the horrors and who are watching what we are seeing on our screen right now, fires blazing in a city in western ukraine and wondering why the united states isn't doing more, why we are not

going into the country and putting a stop to this. president biden has been very farm that there are significant risks if the u.s. gets dragged into a conflict with a nuclear armed russia. he says that's why we're not putting boots on the ground. that's why we are avoiding a no no fly zone. this will be president biden trying to explain why the u.s. is taking the careful, calibrated approach that it has been, relying primarily on arming the ukrainians with lethal weaponry, as well as the sanctions campaign to put pressure on president putin, but not going farther than that. it's also the moment he has to try and keep the focus on the conflict as so many refugees are struggling with growing needs, alex. >> well said all. josh lederman in warsaw. relative to that strike. everything that went down in the last ten minutes or so. we're going to gabe gutierrez, joining us in lviv.

gabe, i understand you have a different vantage point from ali arouzi, is that the strike directly over your right shoulder? >> no, this is the first strike. i want to be clear about that. as you can look at it, there is still a lot of flames and a lot of smoke coming from what we believe to be a fuel depot here. this is the one that happened earlier this afternoon, alex, local officials say at least five people were injured. i want to make sure that separate from that within the last few minutes or so, the last ten, fifteen minutes, we did hear and see, i actually saw over the hill behind the camera position a very brief flash. >> all right, listen, gabe, we appreciate that description, but gabe, got to let you know, the president has taken to the podium there. we're going to take a listen, everybody to the speech. here it is, the president of the united states, joe biden.

thank you very much. it's a great honor to be here. mr. president, they tell me you're over there somewhere. there you are. thank you, mr. president. be not afraid. these are the first words at the first public address of the first polish pope after his election on october 1978. they were the words that would come to define pope john paul ii, words that would change the world. john paul brought the message here to warsaw in his first trip back home as pope in june of 1979. it was a message about the power, the power of faith, the power of resilience, the power of the people. in the face of a cruel and brutal system of government, it

was a message that helped end the soviet oppression in the central land in eastern europe 30 years ago. it was a message that will overcome the cruelty and brutality of this unjust war. when pope john paul brought that message in 1979, the soviet union ruled with an iron fist, behind an iron curtain. then a year later, the solidarity of movement. i know he couldn't be here tonight, we're all grateful in america and around the world for -- reminds me of that phrase of philosopher, fait sees best

in the dark, and they were dark moments. ten years later, the soviet union collapsed and poland, and central and eastern europe could soon be free. nothing about that battle for freedom was simple or easy. it was a long painful slog. fought over not days and months but years and decades. we emerged anew in the great battle for freedom. a battle between democracy and autocracy. between liberty and repression. between a rules-based order, and one governed by brute force. in this battle we need to be clear eyed. this battle will not be won in days or months either. we need to steal ourselves of the long fight ahead.

mr. president, mr. prime minister, mr. mayor, members of the parliament, distinguished guests, and the people of poland, and i suspect some people of ukraine that are here. [ applause ] frz we are gathere here at the royal castle in a city that holds a sacred place in the history of not only of europe but human kind's unending search for freedom. for generations, warsaw has stood where liberty has been challenged and liberty has prevailed. in fact, it was here in warsaw when a young refugee who fled her home country from czechoslovakia was under soviet domination came back to speak and stand in solidarity with dissidence. her name was madeleine kobel

albright. she became one of the most ardent supporters of democracy in the world. she was a friend with whom i served, america's first woman secretary of state. she passed away three days ago. she fought her whole life for central democratic principles, and now in the perennial struggle for democracy and freedom, ukraine and its people are on the front lines fighting to save their nation, and their brave resistance is part of a larger fight for essentially democratic principles that unite all free people, the rule of law, fair and free elections, the freedom to speak, to write, and to assemble. the freedom to worship as one chooses, the freedom of the press, these principles are essential in a free society.

but they have always, they have always been under siege, they have always been in battle. every generation has had to defeat democracy's moral foes. that's the way of the world. for the world is imperfect as we know. where the appetites and ambitions of a few, seek to dominate the lives and liberty of many. my message to the people of ukraine, is a message i delivered to ukraine's foreign minister and defense minister who i believe are here tonight. we stand with you. period. today's fighting kharkiv, the latest battle in a long struggle. hungary, 1956. poland, 1956, and then again 1981. czechoslovakia, 1968, soviet

tanks crushed democratic uprisings, but the resistance continues until finally in 1989, the berlin wall and all the walls of soviet domination, they fell. they fell. and the people prevailed. but the battle for democracy could not conclude and did not conclude with the end of the cold war. over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe. its hallmarks are familiar ones, contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself. today russia has strangled democracy, and sought to do so elsewhere, not only in its homeland, under false claims of ethnic solidarity, is invalidate, neighboring nations,

putin has the gal to say he's denazifing ukraine. it's a lie. it's just cynical, he knows that, and it's also obscene. president zelenskyy was democratically elected, he's jewish, his father's family was wiped out in the holocaust, and putin has the audacity like all autocrats before him to believe that might will make right. my own country, a former president, abraham lincoln voiced the opposing spirit to save our union in the midst of the civil war. he said let us have faith that right makes might. right makes might. today, let us have that faith again. let us resolve to put the strength of democracies into action, to thwart the designs of

autocracy. let us remember that the test of this moment is the test of all time. the kremlin wants to portray nato enlargement as an imperial project aimed at destabilizing russia. nothing is further from the truth. nato is a defensive alliance. it has never sought the demise of russia. in the lead up to the current crisis, the united states and nato worked for months to engage russia to avert war. i met with him in person, talked to him many times on the phone, time and again, we offered real diplomacy, and concrete proposal to strengthen european security, enhanced transparency, build confidence on all sides. putin and russia meant each of the proposals was disinterested in any negotiation, with lies and ultimatums. russia was bent on violence from

the start. i know not all of you believe me and u.s. when we say, they are going to cross the border, they are going to attack, repeatedly, he asserted we had no interest in war, guaranteed, he would not move, repeatedly saying he would not invade ukraine, repeatedly saying russian troops along the border were there for range, all 180,000 of them. there's simply no justification or provocation for russia's choice of war. it's an example of one of the oldest human impulses, using brute force and disinformation to satisfy a craving for absolute power and control. it's nothing less than a direct challenge to the international order established since the end of world war ii and threatens to return to decades of war that

ravaged europe before the international rule-based order was put in place. we cannot go back to that. we cannot. the gravity of the threat is why the response of the west has been so swift and so powerful, and so unified, unprecedented and overwhelming. swift and punishing costs are the only things that are going to get russia to change its course. within days of this invasion. >> [ applause ]. >> the west has moved jointly with sanctions to damage russia's economy. russia's central bank is now blocked from global financial systems and denies kremlin access to the war fund, it's fast around the globe. we have aimed at the heart of russia's economy, by stopping imports of russia's energy to the united states. to date, the united states has sanctioned 140 russian oligarchs and their family members, seizing their ill begotten

gains, their yachts, their luxury apartments, their mansions. key architects of the world, officials and oligarchs have reaped enormous benefit from the corruption connected to the kremlin, and now they have to share in the pain. the private sector has acted as well. over 400 private multinational companies have pulled out of doing business in russia, left russia completely. from oil companies to mcdonald's. as a result of these unprecedented sanctions, the ruble is almost immediately reduced to rubble. the russian economy, that's true by the way, takes about 200 rubles to equal $1, the economy is on track to be cut in half in the coming years. russia's biggest economy in the

world before this invasion. it will soon not even rank among the top 20 in the world. taken together these economic sanctions, a new kind of economic state craft, with the power to inflict damage that rivals military might. these international sanctions are zapping russian strength, the ability to replenish its military, and its ability to project power. and as putin, vladimir putin to blame, period, at the same time alongside these economic sanctions, the western world has come together to provide for the people of ukraine with incredible levels of economic, humanitarian assistance. in the years before the invasion, we america had sent over $650 million. before they crossed the border, in weapons to ukraine, including

anti-air and anti-armor equipment. america has committed $1.35 billion to weapons and ammunition. and thanks to the courage and bravery of the ukrainian people, the equipment we have sent and our colleagues have sent have been used to devastating effect to defend ukrainian land and airspace. our allies and partners have stepped up as well. as i made clear, american forces are in europe, not in europe, to engage in conflict with russian forces. american forces are here to defend nato allies. i met with troops serving alongside our polish allies to bolster the front line defenses. the reason we want to make clear is their movement on ukraine. don't even think about moving on one single inch of nato territory. we have a sacred obligation.

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. and easier today, i visited international stadium with thousands of ukrainian refugees, now trying to answer the toughest questions a human can ask. my god, what's going to happen to me. what's going to happen to my family. i saw tears in many of the mothers' eyes as i embraced them. their young children, not sure where to smile or cry. one little girl said mr. president, she spoke a little english, my brother and my daddy, are they going to be okay. will i see them again. husbands and fathers, many cases, brothers and sisters stayed back to fight for their country. i didn't have to speak the

language or understand the language to feel the emotion in their eyes, the way they grip my hand, little kids hung on to my leg, praying with a desperate hope that all of this is temporary. apprehension, that they may be perhaps forever away from their homes. almost a debilitating sadness, that this is happening all over again. i was also struck by the generosity of the people of warsaw for that matter, all the polish people, to the depths of their compassion, their willingness to reach out, opening their hearts. to open their hearts and homes, simply to help.

i also want to thank my friend the great american chef, jose andres, and his team, for help feeding those yearning to be free. but helping these refugees is not something poland or any other nation should carry alone. all the world democracy's have a responsibility to help. all of them. and the people of ukraine can count on the united states to meet its responsibility. i've announced two days ago we will welcome 100,000 ukrainian refugees. we already have 8,000 a week coming to the united states of other nationalities, who will provide $300 million in humanitarian assistance, providing tens of thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, and other basic supplies. in brussels, i announced the united states is prepared to provide more than $1 billion in addition to humanitarian aid. the world food program told us despite significant obstacles, at least some relief is getting

to major cities in ukraine. but not mariupol because russian forces are blocking relief supplies, but will not cease their efforts to get humanitarian relief wherever it is need for ukraine and for the people who have made it out of ukraine. notwithstanding the brutality of vladimir putin, let there be no doubt that this war has already been a strategic failure for russia already. having lost children myself, i know that's no solace to the people who have lost family. but he, putin, thought ukrainians would roll over and not fight. not much of a student of history. instead, russian forces have met their match with brave and stiff

ukrainian resistance. rather than breaking ukrainian resolve, russia's brutal tactics have strengthened the resolve. rather than driving nato apart, the west is stronger and more united than it's ever been. russia wanted less of a nato presence on his border but now he has a stronger presence, a larger presence with over 100,000 american troops here along with all the other members of nato. in fact, russia has managed to cause something i thought he never intended. the democracies of the world are revitalized with purpose and unity, found in months that we've once taken years to accomplish. it's not only russia's actions in ukraine that are reminding us of democracy's blessing, it's our own country, his own country, the kremlin, jailing protesters, 200,000 people who have allegedly already left,

there's a brain drain leaving russia, shutting down independent news, state media is all propaganda, blocking the image of civilian targets, mass graves, starvation tactics of the russian forces in ukraine. is there any wonder, as i said, that 200,000 russians have left their country in one month. a remarkable brain drain in such a short period of time, which brings me to my message to the russian people. i've worked with russian leaders for decades, i sat across the table, to talk arms control at the height of the war. i have spoken directly and honestly to you the russian people. let me say this if you're able to listen. you the russian people are not our enemy. i refuse to believe that the you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals,

schools and maternity wards, and for god sake being pommelled with russian missiles and bombs or cities being surrounded so that civilians cannot flee, supplies cut off and attempting to starve ukrainians into submission. millions of families are being driven from their homes, including half of all ukraine's children. these are not the actions of a great nation. of all people, you the russian people, as well as all people across europe still have the memory of being in a similar situation in the late '30s and '40s, the situation, world war ii, still fresh in the minds of many grandparents in the region. whatever your generation experienced, whether it experienced the siege at leningrad or heard about it from your parents and grandparents, train stations, overflowing with terrified families fleeing their

homes, sitting through the rubble in homes, these are not memories of the past, not anymore. because it's exactly what the russian army is doing in ukraine right now. march 26th, 2022, just days before we're at the -- you were a 21st century nation, hopes and dreams that people all over the world have for themselves and their families. now, vladimir putin's aggression have cut you, the russian people, off from the rest of the world. and it's taking russia back to the 19th century. this is not who you are. this is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. i'm telling you the truth. this war is not worthy of you, the russian people. putin can and must end this war. the american people will stand with you. and the brave citizens of

ukraine who want peace. my message to the rest of you, this new battle for freedom has already made a few things crystal clear, first, europe must end its dependence on russian fossil fuels. and we the united states will help. that's why i announced the plan with the president of the european commission to get europe through the immediate energy crisis. over the long-term, as a matter of economic security, announcing the security for the survivability of the planet, we need to move as quickly as possible to claim renewable energy, and we'll work together to help get that done. the days of any nation, being subject to the whims of a tyrant for its energy needs are over, they must end. they must end. and second, we have to fight the

corruption coming from the kremlin, to give the russian people a fair chance, and finally most urgently, maintain absolute unity, we must, among the world's democracies. it's not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of words of freedom, equality and liberty, all of us must do the hard work of democracy every day, my country as well, that's why i came to europe again this week with a clear and determined message for nato, for the g7, for the european union, for all freedom loving nations. we must commit now to being in this fight for the long haul. we must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after. and for the years and decades to come. it will not be easy. there will be costs.

it's a price we have to pay because the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people ever. time and again shows from the darkest moments, the greatest progress follows, and history shows this is the task of our time, the task of this generation. let's remember the blow that brought down the berlin wall, the might that lifted the iron curtain, not the words of a single leader. it was the people of europe who for decades fought to free themselves, their shared bravery opened the border between austria and hungary for the european picnic. they joined hands for the baltic way. they stood for solidarity here in poland, and together, it was an unmistakable, undeniable

force of the people that the soviet union could not withstand, and we're seeing it once again today for the brave ukrainian people, showing that their power of many is greater than the will of any one dictator. so in this hour, let the words of pope john paul burn as brightly today, never ever give up hope. never doubt. never tire. never become discouraged. be not afraid. [ applause ] [ cheering ] a dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase a people's love for liberty. brutality will never grind down their will to be free.

ukraine will never be a victory for russia, for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness. we will have a different future, a brighter future, rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity of freedom and possibilities, for god's sake, this man cannot remain in power. god bless you all, and may god defend our freedom. and may god protect our troops. thank you for your patience. thank you. thank you. you. thank you. >> and from that podium in poland, the president of the united states delivering a speech that was certainly heard around the world, and it was meant for an audience of the world. of free people around the world to unify, and stay strong in their attempts to push back russian aggression led by vladimir putin. perhaps the first words out of the president's mouth that really stood with the or really

made an impact on the people gathered there when was he said to the polish president and the political leadership there, we stand with you, and then recalling the fall of the soviet empire at the end of the cold war. russia has strangled democracy and sought to do so elsewhere. he's making that point, calling out vladimir putin for what he has done over these last 30 some days with this unprovoked war in ukraine. he actually was quite specific in his attacking of vladimir putin. he said that putin's awe action's are obscene, lying with the claims of denazifing ukraine, a country whose president is jewish and whose father's family was wiped out during the holocaust. he reminded the ukrainians that the $1.3 billion that the united states has donated in both military and humanitarian support since the beginning of that war. it was a very powerful speech as

expected, and we are now going to talk a bit further about it as i'm joined by nbc's josh lederman from warsaw, msnbc political contributor, ben rhodes, former deputy national security adviser under president obama, cnbc anchor hadley gamble at the nato summit. and in kyiv ukraine right now, which has been under siege since the very beginning. josh you first here as your position there on the ground in warsaw, how is that speech received there from your vantage point? >> alex, you could tell that president biden was trying to speak very distinctly to multiple audiences in this speech. he was trying to speak to the american people essentially saying look, this is going to be a long slog, thgs not going to be over quickly and that americans need to really prepare themselves for something that

could go on for days, weeks, months, he even said decades. i think he was alluding to the broader conflict between authoritarianism and democracy. you see him trying to make clear this is a fight that people are going to have to have the fortitude to stick with. then you heard the president speaking to europeans who are scared about their own security really for the first time in decades. the president warning putin not to even think about violating 1 inch of nato territory, but also warning europeans that there are going to be costs. here in europe, as they take the steps that are necessary to push back on this aggression. we know that there are going to be economic costs and that europe is scrambling to deal with how to realign energy consumption, as it weans itself off of russian energy. the president giving a bit of a pep talk to europeans dealing both with that and of course with this massive influx of refugees and this humanitarian

crisis. what jumped out to me the most was president biden's message to the russian people, and he really made a point in this speech to speak directly to the russian people, acknowledging the fact that they may not hear him, that they are probably not going to be playing this speech in its entirety on russian state media, but trying to send the message that this war is not worthy of them. this is not their fight, that president putin is singularly to blame here, and speaking to the greatness of the russian people, their empathy, that they would not want to see or accept. he said he refuses to believe that russians would accept the killing of children and of grandparents. you see him trying to turn the russian people against this conflict. we've seen frankly more and more russians come out, really with remarkable bravery, including a few members of the political class in russia, a few of the oligarchs who in the last few days have come out to say this is not acceptable, and it's not who we want to be.

president biden trying to embolden them as he spoke directly to the russian people in this address from warsaw. >> indeed he did but to your point and to the president's point, we will see if the russian people are able to hear any part of that speech. ben rhodes, bring you in here, your impression of what we just heard from the president, again, as someone who has written speeches like this for former presidents, obama notably. the president spoke directly and pointedly, and also invoked soaring rhetoric, the part where he said don't even think about moving on our 1 inch of nato territory, and then he towards the end, history shows us from the darkest moments the greatest progress follows. give us a sense of how well the president delivered this speech, and if you think he reached the audience he wanted to in the way he wanted to. >> i think he really met the moment, alex, i thought it was a powerful speech.

i thought what he did is kind of accept back from the day-to-day news of this war. and he set the frame for what is happening, he drew the picture of what's at stake and what to expect from the united states, and where it is going. he's clear on core points that had to be hit that the affirmation of the defense of nato allies will matter a lot, particularly in places like poland that are on the front line. i think a clear description of vladimir putin as the aggressor was a central point to hit. making clear that the steps is done, to reinforce nato, impose sanctions, and mobilize the world's democracies to support ukrainians but also to be in a long haul twilight struggle against the autocracy that vladimir putin represents. that's a powerful and essential message that's going to have to carry us through some really difficult days ahead. i think this is a really good marker that he's laid down, and

i think at the heart of it, we're the states, he made very clear that democracy, putin is seeking to extinguish democracy in ukraine, and if we live in a world that the kind of rules that prevent people from doing that are ultimately is an existential threat to democracy globally. and by tapping into the history, i think that very powerful end where he connected what is happening in ukraine to the people of europe who both suffered in world war ii but then also stood up against autocracy, stood up against the soviet union, brought down the berlin wall. i think aligning the cause of the united states with the aspirations of people, free people in ukraine and all around the world to stand up to bullies like putin, i think that reminds people that you know what, in the long run freedom wins these fights. so that we have to sustain that faith through the difficult days that are coming. so i think it was really

important for an american president to stand there in the easternmost flank of nato in a country, poland, at the crossroads of world war ii and the cold war and say "we're going to win this fight just like we won the ones in the past." >> i agree with all that you said there. hadley, national security adviser jake sullivan in getting a preview said the president's address would, quote, speak to the stakes of the moment, the urgency of the challenge that lies ahead and what the conflict in ukraine means for the world and why it's -- why it's so important for the free world to sustain unity and resolve in the face of russian aggression. that was from jake. did the speech accomplish that in your mind? and you can also speak to the economic aspect of that because that is something where many are either feeling the pain of this war or will certainly be feeling it. >> reporter: absolutely. i think that you saw echoes of that 1987 speech by president

ronald reagan at the brandenburg gate. it was a move there not just to encourage europeans and the idea that the united states is behind them every single step of the way in terms of ending the values of democracy, but there was also a feeling, moreover, that the united states was willing to help europe when it comes to that economic shortfall that we're going to see as a result of the europeans attempting to wean themselves off of russian energy, i'm talking about oil, talking about gas, talking about the fact that the infrastructure isn't actually even in place at this point in countries like germany, in order for them to take lng supplies from the united states and from qatar and other sources. thrive got a lot of work to do. they're going to have to spend billions to make sure they cannot only wean themselves off of russian energy but also continue that energy transition into clean energy. that's going to hit the pocketbooks of europeans pretty hard. we've already seen over the weekend moves by the european council to essentially say that there should be some sort of common market for purchases of gas so that potentially those prices could eventually come down.

but i want that take a step back and think about, if you will, what happened in those conversations today. i had a chance to speak to some of my contacts with the ukrainian government who were in the meetings with joe biden today. they said that the president was strong in his commitment, that he reiterated his support for what they're trying to accomplish as a sovereign state in ukraine. at the same point, he didn't come with any new information. he didn't come with any new commitments. he didn't come with any new decisions about how the united states specifically and nato members specifically could help ukraine. what of course have they been asking for? of course the no-fly zone that has been poo-poo'd by nato officials and the united states, but they're asking for more weapons. they know they're going to have to sit down at some point with russia and work out some kind of a cease-fire. and just to let you know, i'm here in doha where i was speaking earlier with the foreign minister of turkey essentially saying, listen, we are the folks that are trying to create some sort of scenario where both sides can back away

honorably because we know that vladimir putin can't go back to his folks in russia and look like he's been defeated, and with ukraine this is a live or die situation. they have to make a decision that will work for them, as well, so they're not essentially annihilated at home. these are really strong sides of the -- he was saying earlier today that the real crisis, the real question is over crimea, over donbas, and other questions like nato membership for ukraine. ukrainians have already said we're giving up on that one. >> yeah. you bring up donbas -- >> i want to bring into the conversation, from your vantage point in kyiv, that has been, of course, the epicenter, yes, the humanitarian crisis has moved to lviv. but kyiv is the capital of the country, that is where president zelenskyy presumably has remained to try to maintain some level of control and communication throughout ukraine. but there's been moves that the

-- president putin would now focus on donbas, that it's a bit of an off-ramp potentially. give me your interpretations of that as potentially the next move by the russian military, and also i'm happy to hear your thoughts about president biden's speech. >> sure. regarding president biden's speech, my thoughts were ukraine is going to get a lot out of this. it's a good takeaway for ukrainians. they will appreciate the fact that you directly went after vladimir putin and addressed the russian people directly to really convince them that they are being isolated by putin, and they should not fall into the propaganda. that's something that president zelenskyy has also been pushing quite publicly through his social media messages. at the same time, they're also going to -- they're also going to like the fact that, you know, about tightening the screws a bit of the sanctions, trying to wean europe off of russia's gas

and oil, and at the same time calling for european unity with sanctions no matter how much -- how heavy the price could be for europe. you know, that's essential for ukraine because part of their strategy is to slow down the russian advance on the cities in order for pressures to work. pressures such as international sanctions and the diplomatic process. now when it comes down to -- to donbas, i mean, a lot of ukrainians here are skeptical about this. they don't believe that vladimir putin and the russian forces are simply going drop the idea of trying to capture the capital kyiv which has been the big prize so far. and then head off east and leaving it all hanging here. in fact, many people i've spoken to feel it's still a ploy, a ploy by russia to gain some more time, perhaps to bring in more reinforcements, perhaps to

reinforce their supply lines, try to bring in more equipment rather than shifting the entire war toward the east. >> very interesting comments you make there which reflect those of the president who called out vladimir putin for his lies leading up to the war, and in addition to currently what he's said about his actions during there war. josh, thank you so much. ben, thank you, as well. thank you so much, appreciate you breaking down this very, very important speech from president biden there in poland. and before the president spoke, lviv came under attack. we'll show you exactly what happened there and take you to lviv next. u to lviv next. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good. after my dvt blood clot... i was uncertain... was another around the corner? or could things take a different turn?

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