Moscow Hits Back at Biden’s Call for Regime Change in Russia
Earlier in the day during a speech in Poland, Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
Putin long believed the U.S. wanted him out of power.
Now, he has a quote by the president of the United States affirming that concern.
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) March 26, 2022
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reacted to the provocation by saying that it is not for the president of the United States to decide who should be in power in Russia.
“That’s not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians,” Peskov told Reuters on Saturday, when asked to comment on Biden’s words in Warsaw.
JUST IN: President Joe Biden called for regime change in Russia, saying in a speech in Poland that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” after the Ukraine invasion https://t.co/hoYv90InZa
— Bloomberg (@business) March 26, 2022
Later, the White House tried to walk back Biden’s call for regime change in Russia.
“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region,” a White House official said. “He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”
Too late. We all heard Biden say: “For god’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The world heard it. No way to unring that bell. https://t.co/TqSYFnX959
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) March 26, 2022
3) #Putin cannot remain in power. The White House can clarify all they want but POTUS said what he said. And if only for that reason it’s a big deal. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/CpyYygVk5Q
— Sławomir Dębski (@SlawomirDebski) March 26, 2022
U.S. officials confirm what had become readily apparent: Biden’s declaration that Putin should not remain in power was NOT in the prepared text.
The White House put out a clarifying statement a few minutes later
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 26, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people “who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine. West imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia.