Joe Biden's remarks on Putin 'emotional', not based on White House policy: US State Dept

United States President Joe Biden’s remarks on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were made on emotions and do not reflect the official course of the White House, clarified US State Department adviser, according to Nexta TV. The clarification from the US State Department adviser came after Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “butcher” and said that the Kremlin leader should not stay in power. 

Earlier, while speaking in Warsaw, Biden had said that Putin “cannot remain in power”. However, following US President’s remarks, a White House official later said Biden’s remarks did not reflect the shift in Washington’s policy and were meant to prepare the world’s democracies for an extended crisis, not to support a change of regime in Russia. 

Biden’s careless remarks sparked criticism from Kremlin and other nations. French President Emmanuel Macron called for restraint in words and actions in dealing with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. Former Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Chaputowicz thinks that US President Joe Biden declared a new Cold War in his speech in Warsaw. 

Macron told France 3 that he would have not used the “type of wording” used by POTUS to hold discussions with Putin. French President told France 3, “I wouldn’t use this type of wording because I continue to hold discussions with President Putin…What do we want to do collectively? We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without waging war and without escalation.”

If this is what we want to do, we should not escalate things -- neither with words nor actions," Macron added.

Biden said 'no' when he was asked if he wants Putin's regime to end

After his remarks about Putin’s regime in Russia, Biden replied only with a simple “no” on Sunday when he was questioned if he meant that Kremlin should have a new government. In Poland, which was the first NATO nation that Biden visited after the Russia-Ukraine war started, US President said his opinion of Putin is that Kremlin leader is a “butcher”.

Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken also tried to defend Biden’s remarks and said, from Jerusalem, “I think the president, the White House, made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else”.

“As you know, and as you have heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia - or anywhere else, for that matter,” Blinken further said.

Image: AP