Biden on Putin: 'This man cannot remain in power'

A White House official asserted that Biden was “not discussing Putin's power in Russia or regime change.”

U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” dramatically escalating the rhetoric against the Russian leader after his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Even as Mr. Biden's words rocketed around the world, the White House attempted to clarify soon after Mr. Biden finished speaking in Poland that he was not calling for a new government in Russia.

A White House official asserted that Mr. Biden was “not discussing Putin's power in Russia or regime change.” The official, who was not authorized to comment by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Biden's point was that “Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region.” The White House declined to comment on whether Biden's statement about Putin was part of his prepared remarks.

“For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Mr. Biden's said at the very end of a speech in Poland's capital that served as the capstone on a four-day trip to Europe.

Mr. Biden has frequently talked about ensuring that the Kremlin's now invasion, now in its second month, becomes a “strategic failure” for Mr. Putin and has described the Russian leader as a “war criminal". But until his remarks in Warsaw, the American leader had not veered toward suggesting Mr. Putin should not run Russia. Earlier on Saturday, shortly after meeting with Ukrainian refugees, Mr. Biden called Mr. Putin a “butcher.”

Mr. Biden also used his speech to also make a vociferous defense of liberal democracy and the NATO military alliance, while saying Europe must steel itself for a long fight against Russian aggression.

Earlier in the day, as BMr. iden met with Ukrainian refugees, Russia kept up its pounding of cities throughout Ukraine. Explosions rang out in Lviv, the closest major Ukrainian city to Poland and a destination for the internally replaced that has been largely spared from major attacks.