US President Joe Biden said on Friday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hamas wanted to completely “annihilate” their neighbouring democracies.

“We’ve not forgotten the mass graves, the bodies found bearing signs of torture, rape used as a weapon by the Russians, and thousands and thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia, stolen from their parents. It’s sick. Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy,” Biden said.

In a primetime television address on Thursday (local time), fresh off a wartime visit to Israel, Biden asserted that Hamas uses civilians as human shields against Israeli forces.

He further said, “Hamas stated purpose for existing is a destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jewish people. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields. And innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.”

Taking to X, Biden reiterated, “The terror and tyranny of Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.”