Washington: US President Joe BidenHis allies and Western allies are scrambling to explain his remarks that Russian leaders Vladimir Putin Officials said they could not stay in power because they did not want to escalate the conflict between Washington and Moscow.
The nine-word line at the end of a 27-minute speech in Warsaw on Saturday has been derided by some observers as the best piece of rhetoric for Biden’s presidency. It left foreign allies uneasy, at the end of an otherwise successful voyage aimed at uniting the Allies against Russia, and has raised new questions about the United States’ long-term strategy for its former Cold War foe.
“For God’s sake, this man can’t stay in power,” Biden said in the Polish capital after long condemning Putin’s months-long war in Ukraine.
A White House official commented on this to Reuters Putin was not in the scripted speech. Asked whether the sentiment reflected Biden’s true feelings, the official did not respond directly, but said the US president does not shy away from calling his Russian counterpart a “butcher” and a “war criminal”.
In his political career, Biden has made some notable verbal mistakes during freewheeling sessions with reporters or other spontaneous incidents. On his recent European visit, Biden said the United States would respond “in kind” if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine and suggested that US troops go to the front, none of which represented US policy. Is.
But Saturday’s remarks were not one of those situations – he was speaking to the audience from a teleprompter. Minutes before Putin’s call to step down, a crowd of about 1,000 were apparently feeding Biden’s remarks, clapping, waving flags and even starting a slogan Was.
An aide to the Democratic president said Biden’s emotional announcement voiced the disappointment that many Western countries – and many American voters – feel about the invasion of Ukraine.
It came, officials explained, after a day that included the war in Ukraine and Biden’s meeting with Ukrainian refugees evacuated by government officials who were trying to respond to Russian bombing campaigns that devastated cities. and according to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 1,119 were killed. Citizen.
Nonetheless, the remarks echo long-standing accusations from Russia and other countries that the United States seeks an imperialist role in world conflicts, adding to tensions as the West tries to manage the increasingly unpredictable Putin. Is.
The clean-up effort was swift and comprehensive, indicating a strong desire within the administration to avoid tensions with Russia, even if it tarnished Biden’s reputation.
US Secretary of State, White House Press Office, US Ambassador natoAnd the German chancellor all within a day shot down the idea of regime change, which was capped by Biden himself, who, when asked by reporters in Washington whether he was calling for regime change, clearly said “no ” said.
On Monday, Biden explained to reporters at the White House that his remarks reflected his “moral displeasure” about Putin’s actions rather than any policy change. Still, he said, if the Russian leader “continues on the path he’s on, he’s going to be a pariah to the world and who knows what he becomes at home in terms of support.”
Biden administration officials have said in recent weeks that they have become increasingly concerned about Putin’s decision-making and more casual calls for his country’s nuclear weapons threat, a posture that made Biden’s statement even more surprising. .
What is endgame?
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has distanced itself from suggestions, including by US Senator Lindsey Graham, that the solution to the crisis in Ukraine is to forcibly remove Putin.
But it has described the actions against Russian companies, banks, government officials and oligarchs as an attempt to isolate those aimed directly at Putin from supporters on the domestic and foreign stage.
During his State of the Union address to Congress on March 1, Biden said “Putin is now more “isolated from the world” than ever before; a week later he announced plans to further “squeeze” Putin .
Despite being directly involved with Putin, Biden failed to persuade him not to invade Ukraine in the first place. Since the offensive began on February 24, Biden has instead attempted to speak directly to the Russians. “You, the Russian people, are not our enemies,” the US president said in Warsaw.
Biden officials have not responded to questions about whether the White House envisions “endgame” scenarios around the invasion of Ukraine, or how they think Putin could defuse the conflict.
Last week, one of Putin’s closest allies, Dmitry Medvedev, warned the United States that the Russian president’s ouster could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow “for the United States and Europe aiming for maximum nuclear power.” With weapons.”
Asked about Biden’s remarks in Warsaw, which received little coverage on Russian state television, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It is a statement that is certainly dangerous.”
Andrew Lohsen, conflict expert and a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank, warned: “It is going to be part and parcel of Russian propaganda campaigns to tarnish the United States’ motivations.”
The nine-word line at the end of a 27-minute speech in Warsaw on Saturday has been derided by some observers as the best piece of rhetoric for Biden’s presidency. It left foreign allies uneasy, at the end of an otherwise successful voyage aimed at uniting the Allies against Russia, and has raised new questions about the United States’ long-term strategy for its former Cold War foe.
“For God’s sake, this man can’t stay in power,” Biden said in the Polish capital after long condemning Putin’s months-long war in Ukraine.
A White House official commented on this to Reuters Putin was not in the scripted speech. Asked whether the sentiment reflected Biden’s true feelings, the official did not respond directly, but said the US president does not shy away from calling his Russian counterpart a “butcher” and a “war criminal”.
In his political career, Biden has made some notable verbal mistakes during freewheeling sessions with reporters or other spontaneous incidents. On his recent European visit, Biden said the United States would respond “in kind” if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine and suggested that US troops go to the front, none of which represented US policy. Is.
But Saturday’s remarks were not one of those situations – he was speaking to the audience from a teleprompter. Minutes before Putin’s call to step down, a crowd of about 1,000 were apparently feeding Biden’s remarks, clapping, waving flags and even starting a slogan Was.
An aide to the Democratic president said Biden’s emotional announcement voiced the disappointment that many Western countries – and many American voters – feel about the invasion of Ukraine.
It came, officials explained, after a day that included the war in Ukraine and Biden’s meeting with Ukrainian refugees evacuated by government officials who were trying to respond to Russian bombing campaigns that devastated cities. and according to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 1,119 were killed. Citizen.
Nonetheless, the remarks echo long-standing accusations from Russia and other countries that the United States seeks an imperialist role in world conflicts, adding to tensions as the West tries to manage the increasingly unpredictable Putin. Is.
The clean-up effort was swift and comprehensive, indicating a strong desire within the administration to avoid tensions with Russia, even if it tarnished Biden’s reputation.
US Secretary of State, White House Press Office, US Ambassador natoAnd the German chancellor all within a day shot down the idea of regime change, which was capped by Biden himself, who, when asked by reporters in Washington whether he was calling for regime change, clearly said “no ” said.
On Monday, Biden explained to reporters at the White House that his remarks reflected his “moral displeasure” about Putin’s actions rather than any policy change. Still, he said, if the Russian leader “continues on the path he’s on, he’s going to be a pariah to the world and who knows what he becomes at home in terms of support.”
Biden administration officials have said in recent weeks that they have become increasingly concerned about Putin’s decision-making and more casual calls for his country’s nuclear weapons threat, a posture that made Biden’s statement even more surprising. .
What is endgame?
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has distanced itself from suggestions, including by US Senator Lindsey Graham, that the solution to the crisis in Ukraine is to forcibly remove Putin.
But it has described the actions against Russian companies, banks, government officials and oligarchs as an attempt to isolate those aimed directly at Putin from supporters on the domestic and foreign stage.
During his State of the Union address to Congress on March 1, Biden said “Putin is now more “isolated from the world” than ever before; a week later he announced plans to further “squeeze” Putin .
Despite being directly involved with Putin, Biden failed to persuade him not to invade Ukraine in the first place. Since the offensive began on February 24, Biden has instead attempted to speak directly to the Russians. “You, the Russian people, are not our enemies,” the US president said in Warsaw.
Biden officials have not responded to questions about whether the White House envisions “endgame” scenarios around the invasion of Ukraine, or how they think Putin could defuse the conflict.
Last week, one of Putin’s closest allies, Dmitry Medvedev, warned the United States that the Russian president’s ouster could lead to an unstable leadership in Moscow “for the United States and Europe aiming for maximum nuclear power.” With weapons.”
Asked about Biden’s remarks in Warsaw, which received little coverage on Russian state television, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It is a statement that is certainly dangerous.”
Andrew Lohsen, conflict expert and a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank, warned: “It is going to be part and parcel of Russian propaganda campaigns to tarnish the United States’ motivations.”