President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," on Saturday, calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a "strategic failure" and promising continuous support for the besieged Ukrainian people.
"For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden stated during an address in front of Warsaw's Royal Castle.
It looked to be the first time Biden has directly advocated for Putin's ouster, and it would contrast sharply with previous White House remarks emphasizing that regime change in Russia is not a US strategy.
The White House quickly denied that Biden was advocating for regime change following his speech.
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According to Fox reporter, it was gathered that a White House official said that.
"Putin cannot be permitted to wield control over his neighbors or the area, according to the President. He wasn't talking about Putin's authority or regime change in Russia "
The comment came at the conclusion of a speech in which he slammed Russia's foray into Ukraine, calling it "nothing less than a direct challenge to the rules-based international order established since the end of World War II."
He also sent a strong warning to Putin about any future move into NATO partners' territory, especially Poland, in the speech, which included references to Polish Pope John Paul II and former president Lech Walesa.
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