Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin ‘cannot remain in power’ in fiery speech on Ukraine war
- White House later downplays Biden’s remarks, saying they were not about regime change
- Biden used his speech in Warsaw, Poland, to defend liberal democracy and the Nato military alliance, adding Europe must steel itself for a long fight against Russia
US President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin must not remain in power on Saturday, as he delivered a major speech in Warsaw, Poland, rallying European allies for a “long-haul” resistance to Russian aggression.
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said of Putin, in his strongest rhetoric yet regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The remarks, which appeared to be unscripted, marked an apparent departure from previous efforts by US officials to stress that Washington is not pushing for regime change in Russia.
“For us, it’s not about regime change,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS in early March. “The Russian people have to decide who they want to lead them.”
Soon after Saturday’s speech, and amid immediate backlash from Moscow and speculation of a possible shift in US policy, the White House downplayed Biden’s remarks, arguing that the word “power” referred to that wielded by Moscow beyond its borders, not within Russia.