WASHINGTON, March 8, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US President Joe Biden vowed Thursday he will not "bow down" to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, fiercely criticizing rival Donald Trump from the first moments of his State of the Union address.

"My predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, 'Do whatever the hell you want,'" Biden told the joint session.

"I will not bow down," Biden said. "In a literal sense, history is watching."