Putin 'cannot remain in power' Biden says in Warsaw speech


President Biden delivered a speech in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday evening wrapping up his four-day trip to Europe with what was widely interpreted as a shocking call for regime change in Russia.
In the speech, Biden promised that the United States will accept thousands of Ukrainian refugees, reiterated that American troops will not be sent to fight in Ukraine, and touted his plan to help Europe "end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels."
Biden previously announced this "game plan," which includes allocating more American natural gas to the European market and accelerating Europe's transition to clean energy sources, in Brussels on Friday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He then addressed the Russian people, accusing Putin of increasing the resolve of the Western democracies and causing a "brain drain" in Russia.
"You, the Russian people, are not our enemy," Biden said, reciting a catalog of the atrocities Russian forces have committed in Ukraine. "These are not the actions of a great nation ... Vladimir Putin's aggression has cut you, the Russian people, off from the rest of the world. He's taking Russia back to the 19th century. This is not who you are ... This war is not worthy of you, the Russian people."
Biden ended his speech with an apparently clear call for Putin to be deposed. "A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase a people's love for liberty," he said. "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power."
The Biden administration has previously been wary of calls for regime change in Russia. When Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) called earlier this month for a Russian "Brutus" to assassinate Putin, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said his comments did not reflect "the position of the United States government," NPR reported. A few days later, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that American opposition to the invasion of Ukraine is "not about regime change" in Russia.
Update 7:15 p.m.: A statement from the White House after Biden's Saturday remarks said Biden was not calling Putin's ouster: "The president's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - free trade, judicial pushback, and more
By The Week US
-
5 educational cartoons about the Harvard pushback
Cartoons Artists take on academic freedom, institutional resistance, and more
By The Week US
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Russia's spring offensive: what does it mean for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Ukraine's military campaigner says much-anticipated offensive has begun
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK