Joe Biden to deliver his first State Of The Union address amid crisis in Ukraine

Mr Biden will address a mostly full and mask-optional crowd in the House chamber, one sign of the easing coronavirus threat

The chamber of the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

President Joe Biden will deliver his first State Of The Union address at a precipitous moment for the nation, aiming to navigate the country out a pandemic, reboot his stalled domestic agenda and confront Russia’s aggression.

The speech had initially been conceived by the White House as an opportunity to highlight the improving coronavirus outlook and rebrand Mr Biden’s domestic policy priorities as a way to lower costs for families grappling with soaring inflation.