Outgoing President Joe Biden thanked US troops for their service to the nation in a farewell speech Thursday.
"Serving as your commander in chief has been the greatest honor of my life. While I'm deeply grateful for your thanks and affection, I'm here to thank you for your service to our nation and for allowing me to bear witness to your courage, your commitment, your character," Biden said at a Department of Defense ceremony.
His remarks came a day after a cease-fire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza was reached between Israel and Hamas which is expected to take effect on Jan. 19.
"The road to that deal was not easy…It's taken eight months, a non-stop, relentless effort in my administration to get it done," he said.
"You stepped up, pulling long nights and long deployments to weaken Hamas, defend Israel against unprecedented attacks (from) Iran. Imagine, had we not. If we don't lead the world, who will lead the world?" he said.
Turning to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to take Kyiv, to make large territorial gains and to break NATO.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Biden renewed American leadership around the planet and strengthened the US's unmatched global network of allies and partners.
"He rallied the free world to help Ukraine fight for its freedom after Putin's indefensible invasion. He positioned America to succeed in strategic competition with the People's Republic of China," he said, adding Biden prevented the Middle East from erupting into an all-out regional war.
"And he has just secured a cease-fire that will stop the fighting in Gaza, surge more humanitarian aid to suffering Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families," Austin said.
