US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, delivered his final address to the United Nations General Assembly, likely also one of his last on the world stage as president, capping a decades-long political career focused largely on foreign policy.

As usual, Biden was preceded to the podium by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who condemned the killing and destruction being suffered by the Palestinians, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

"Today is the fourth and last time I address this gathering," Biden said after Lula finished his speech, recalling the first time he attended the meeting when he was a young senator, noting that at that time the war was being fought in Vietnam, "but now the United States maintains good and strong relations with Vietnam."

"I see the challenges in Ukraine, Gaza, climate change — the list goes on," he said.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday expressed his sorrow for the loss of life and the pain felt by innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict between Israel and Gaza as he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden pointed to the hundreds of civilians killed during Hamas's attack on Israel 11 months ago and the dozens held hostage. "I've met with the families of those hostages. I've grieved with them; they're going through hell," Biden said.

“Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands upon thousands have been killed, including aid workers. Many families have been displaced, crowded into tents, and face a dire humanitarian situation,” he added.

Regarding the faltering ceasefire agreement, Biden said: “Now is the time for the parties to finalize the terms of a ceasefire, return the hostages home, secure Israel and a Hamas-free Gaza, alleviate the suffering in Gaza, and end this war.”

He added, "We also look at the suffering of the Palestinians in the West Bank. We must end this conflict and this suffering by establishing a Palestinian state that gives the Palestinians the dignity, freedom and sovereignty they deserve, and the Israelis the security they aspire to."

President Joe Biden pledged to support Ukraine until victory in its war against Russia at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

Biden said that since the war began more than two years ago, "our NATO allies and partners and more than 50 countries have stood" against Russia.

“Most importantly, the Ukrainian people stood up,” Biden said. “I asked the people in this room to stand up for them.”

“The good news is that Putin’s war has failed, and so has his primary goal,” Biden added. “He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine remains free. He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, and more united than ever, with two new members, Finland and Sweden.”

“But we can’t stop,” the president added, referring to the uncertain future of support for Ukraine both in the United States, where former President Donald Trump is seeking another term in office and could implement serious cuts in aid to Ukraine, and around the world.

The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, colloquially known as the “UNGA,” brings leaders from around the world to New York. A senior Biden administration official told reporters before Biden’s speech that the president’s speech will cover many of the foreign policy themes he has addressed throughout his administration — rallying the world around Ukraine, managing global competition and emphasizing the importance of preserving the U.N. Charter.

“He came into office four years ago with a vision of America returning to the world stage, having a new way of engaging with other countries and bringing countries together to solve some of these big challenges,” the official told reporters.

For Biden, it’s a busy week on foreign policy for the president, who met with leaders of Indo-Pacific nations — Japan, Australia and India — over the weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. He’ll meet with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Thursday.