Putin has 'already lost Ukraine,' Biden says


President Biden believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has "already lost Ukraine," he told PBS NewsHour in a Wednesday interview.
"There's no way that Putin is going to be able to — he's already lost Ukraine," Biden told NewsHour's Judy Woodruff. "He thought that if he invaded Ukraine, first of all, he'd get a welcome by every Russian speaker, they'd say, 'Come on in.' Secondly, he thought what would happen is that NATO would collapse, NATO would not to do anything, they'd be afraid to act."
If you "go down the line, none of that's happening," Biden went on.
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.
The president's comments arrived the day after his 2023 State of the Union address, during which he emphasized the United States' continued commitment to Ukraine in its war against Russia and recognized Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova in the audience.
Biden also addressed on NewsHour the criticism from GOP lawmakers, like Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who have indicated a degree of discomfort with the amount of support the U.S. is providing Kyiv.
"If these guys don't want to help Ukraine, I get it, they don't want to do that, but what are they going to do to when . . . Russia rolls across Ukraine or into Belarus or anywhere else?" the president said.
Russia first invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. "Since then, U.S. military assistance to Ukraine has exceeded an estimated $28 billion," The Hill reports.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
President Trump: ‘waging war’ on Chicago
Talking Point Federal agents are carrying out ‘increasingly aggressive’ immigration raids – but have sanctuary cities like Chicago brought it on themselves?
-
Crossword: October 18, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Codeword: October 18, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Could US Tomahawk missiles help Ukraine end the war?
Today's Big Question Or is Trump bluffing?
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats