Joe Biden thanks Australia and New Zealand for their support in ‘holding Vladimir Putin accountable’

US President Joe Biden has thanked Australia for banding together with the free world to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine.

In his first State of the Union address, Mr Biden said Russian president Vladimir Putin is more isolated from the world than ever before due to the range of sanctions imposed by Western nations and blocs.

‘The free world is holding him (Putin) accountable along with 27 members of the European Union … as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand,’ he said.

He said military, economic and humanitarian assistance would help Ukraine in its ‘fight for freedom’.