Faced with the war in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden invoked the value of democracy and, at the same time, questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would remain in power.
«For God’s sake, this man cannot stay in power,” Biden said Saturday night in a speech in front of a historic setting in the courtyard of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
Biden’s appearance in the Polish capital marked the end of his trip to Europe, marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has “strangled” democracy and is trying to do the same elsewhere, Biden said. “A dictator who wants to rebuild an empire will never extinguish a people’s love for freedom.”
Applause keeps exploding
Thousands of people gathered in and around the Royal Castle in Warsaw on Saturday afternoon to hear Biden’s speech. It was also broadcast in front of the castle. Applause erupted again and again. Many people held Ukrainian flags in their hands, some also waved the US flag. The US president has repeatedly referred to Putin as a “dictator” or “tyrant”. Only at the end of his speech did he say the decisive sentence about Putin’s power.
The White House immediately backed off. A senior White House official went out of his way to emphasize that the president’s statement was not directly calling for Putin’s ouster. “The president’s message was that Putin should not have power over his neighbors or the region. He didn’t talk about Putin’s power in Russia or the overthrow of the government,” he said. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied: “Biden doesn’t decide that, the president of Russia is elected by the Russian people. “CNN, quoting a White House official, reported that Biden’s statement was not included in the prepared text of the speech.
Biden warns Putin
Biden also warned Putin in emphatic terms against an attack on NATO territory. “Don’t even think about taking action against an inch of NATO territory.” The United States and its NATO partners have a “sacred obligation” to defend Alliance territory with the combined power of all members. “We are on your side,” the US president told the people of Ukraine. “Never give up hope, don’t get tired, don’t be discouraged and don’t be afraid”. At the same time, he swore the world into a long conflict over the future international order. It is a “great battle between democracy and autocracy”.
Biden did not choose any location in Warsaw for his speech. The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a symbol of the city that was largely destroyed by Nazi Germany in World War II and then rebuilt. After his trip to Brussels, Biden traveled to Poland on Friday. Ukraine’s neighbor is worried about Russia’s aggression. With regard to refugees from Ukraine, Poland was taking the brunt, the White House said ahead of Biden’s trip. Nearly 2.27 million people from Ukraine have entered Poland so far. There is currently no official information on how many of them have stayed in Poland and how many have traveled to other countries.
Refugee visit at stadium
Prior to his speech, Biden visited the National Stadium in Warsaw to get a feel for the refugee relief effort and to speak face-to-face with Ukrainians. Here too he found clear words for Putin and called him a “butcher”.
Prior to that, political talks were on Biden’s agenda – for example, with Polish President Andrzej Duda. In the morning, Biden also consulted with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. They met their respective American counterparts in Warsaw. Biden’s participation in ministerial-level negotiations is unusual – and suggested that Biden wanted to send a message of solidarity to Ukraine.
Biden talks about freedom of the press
Before his trip to Poland, there was also the question of whether Biden would find critical words for the Polish government. More recently, the US government has clearly labeled a planned media law, which President Duda eventually vetoed, as a threat to media freedom. Biden did not go straight on the offensive, but indirectly addressed the issue. In his speech, Biden spoke about the essential principles of a “free society” and also mentioned freedom of the press. At this point in his speech, the applause at the Royal Castle in Warsaw was particularly intense. “All of us, including here in Poland, have to do the hard work of democracy every day. Also in my country.”
Biden finally returned to the United States on Saturday night. That ended his two-day trip to the NATO partner country. On Friday, the US president traveled to Rzeszow, in southeastern Poland, and visited US troops stationed there. The city is just 90 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.