White House seeks to walk back Biden’s remarks on Putin staying in power

The White House attempts to clarify, soon after US President Joe Biden finished speaking in Poland, that he was not calling for a new government in Russia.

A White House official asserts that Biden was “not discussing Putin’s power in Russia or regime change.” The official, who isn’t authorized to comment by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity, says Biden’s point was that “Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.”

The official doesn’t respond when asked whether the comment by Biden was part of his prepared remarks for the address in Warsaw or was made off the cuff.

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