State of the Union takeaways: Biden talks tough on Putin and touts Covid progress

Joe Biden denounced Russian “tyranny” in his first State of the Union speech, but also carved plenty of time time to make his pitch for Democrats as the US midterm elections loom.

The president, who is struggling with a low approval rating and faces the prospect of Democrats losing control of the House and the Senate in November, condemned Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He announced a flight ban on Russian aircraft, before turning to the domestic policies Biden hopes will make voters choose him.

Related: Tackling inflation is ‘top priority’, says Biden in State of the Union address

Biden pointed to his administration’s success in the fight against Covid 19, and said America was moving towards “more normal routines”, but could not completely cover up the failure of his signature piece of legislation, the $2tn Build Back Better act.

Here are some key takeaways from the speech:

1. Invasion of Ukraine dominates

As expected, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine played a prominent role in Biden’s speech, as the president condemned Putin in the strongest terms yet. “Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways,” Biden said.

“He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.”

Traditionally, State of the Union speeches focus on a president’s domestic achievements and agenda, but Biden was forced to adapt the address, and he spent the first third of his speech addressing the war in Ukraine.

Biden outlined the efforts the US and other countries have taken against Russia, including the flight ban announced on Tuesday night, as he reiterated that US troops “will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine”.

Putin “thought he could divide us here at home”, and said the Russian leader had believed Nato and the west “wouldn’t respond”.

“Putin was wrong. We were ready,” Biden said.

There was a warning, however, that the US will feel the impact of the conflict. “A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world,” Biden said. He said the US had worked with other countries to release 60m barrels of oil from reserves, which he said would “help blunt gas prices here at home”.

“I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming,” Biden said. “But I want you to know that we are going to be OK.”

2. US steps up the pressure on Russia

“Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia,” Biden said. He stressed that the move was not merely symbolic, but would add “an additional squeeze on their economy”.

“Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run,” Biden said.

The airspace ban will further cement Russia’s pariah status. A number of European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Poland and the UK have already banned Russian aircraft and airlines from their airspace. Russia reacted by ordering those countries not to enter Russian airspace.

American, Delta and United have all halted flights over Russia.

3) Efforts to stop inflation at heart of Biden’s pitch

Biden devoted significant time to his efforts to combat US inflation, which is at its highest rate in 40 years. It was part of an attempt to reassure Americans on the economy, the critical factor in coming midterm elections, which Democrats are expected to lose.

Biden laid out a plan to combat the rise, but his $2tn Build Back Better agenda was conspicuous by its absence. The legislation was to be an important component of his first term, but is loathed by Republicans and was ultimately torpedoed by Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat who renewed his criticism of Biden almost immediately after the president finished speaking.

Still, Biden proposed some measures that were in that bill, including cutting the price of prescription drugs, reducing energy costs for families, providing affordable childcare, and raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

His “plan to fight inflation”, Biden said, “will lower your costs and lower the deficit.”

But past presidents have mostly failed in their attempts to combat inflation, which is mostly a task for the Federal Reserve. Biden seemed to accept there were limitations to what he can actually do, with part of his pitch sounding almost like a plea to big business.

“Lower your costs, not your wages,” Biden said.

4) Looking ahead from Covid-19

“I know you’re tired, frustrated, and exhausted,” Biden said, as he moved to discuss efforts to tackle the pandemic. “But I also know this. Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools we have, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines.”

Biden referenced new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said people in many parts of the US can now go mask-free in most indoor and outdoor spaces.

“Based on the projections, more of the country will reach that point across the next couple of weeks,” Biden said. He also announced that more free tests will be made available to Americans starting next week.

Biden also acknowledged the polarized response to the pandemic – typified by the number of Republicans in the House and Senate who railed against mask wearing, vaccine mandates and school closures – but asked that Americans “use this moment to reset”.

“Let’s stop looking at Covid as a partisan dividing line and see it for what it is: a God-awful disease. Let’s stop seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we really are: fellow Americans,” Biden said.

5. Praise for police – and dashed hopes for progressives

Black Lives Matter demonstrations, inspired by the police killing of George Floyd, brought tens of thousands of Americans to the streets in the summer of 2020. The protests sparked political discussion of serious police reform, sometimes under the banner of the “defund the police” movement, but Biden came out firmly against that on Tuesday.

“I know what works: investing in crime prevention and community police officers who’ll walk the beat, who’ll know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety,” Biden said.

Related: Ukraine’s ambassador to US gets standing ovation at Biden’s State of the Union

“We should all agree: the answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities.”

With a rise in violent crime in many US cities, policing and crime is expected to be an important issue in the midterm elections, and Biden appeared to be taking a line he hopes will appeal to the voters he won away from an increasingly radical Republican party in 2020.

But the unqualified praise of police will probably come as a blow to progressive Democrats, who have called for serious restructuring of police departments to combat continuing police violence, particularly against people of color.

Progressives would like to see money redirected from police to mental health services and community resources, but Biden took the opposite tack.