OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden has made some additional comments regarding his administration’s position on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin should remain in power.
In an op-ed published Wednesday by The New York Times under Biden’s name, the president explained what his administration planned to do and not do in Ukraine. The piece comes after Biden has criticized Putin and described him as a “war criminal” while also appearing to previously call for him to be removed from office.
Now, however, Biden appears to have changed his tune.
“We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia,” Biden wrote. “As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow.”
“So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces,” he added.
In late March, roughly a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden gave a speech in Poland in which many believed he called for regime change in Russia, a take that The White House has denied.
“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” the White House said.
However, many in the media did not see it that way.
On Putin, the president said, “For God’s sake this man cannot remain in power.”
Biden referring to Putin: “for god sake, this man cannot remain in power. ” pic.twitter.com/rYMogy5xeb
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) March 26, 2022
Added CNN reporter John Harwood: “Biden on Putin: ‘this man cannot remain in power’ for the first time, overtly embracing regime change in Russia.”
Biden on Putin: “this man cannot remain in power”
for the first time, overtly embracing regime change in Russia
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 26, 2022
“WARSAW — ‘For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,’ said Biden, referring to Putin, as he closes out his big speech in Poland. Worth noting that the Biden administration so far has been at pains to NOT even hint at anything approximately regime change,” MSNBC political analyst Ashley Parker said.
WARSAW — “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” said Biden, referring to Putin, as he closes out his big speech in Poland.
Worth noting that the Biden administration so far has been at pains to NOT even hint at anything approximately regime change.
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) March 26, 2022
Needless to say, the Russian government had something to say about Biden’s statement.
“This is not to be decided by Mr. Biden. It should only be a choice of the people of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted.
The White House subsequently claimed that the comment was off-script, but Richard Haass, the Council on Foreign Relations president, said that the comments being off-script actually makes it worse, Politico reported.
“The fact that it was so off-script in some ways makes it worse,” he said because it could be seen by Putin as Biden’s genuine belief as opposed to words written for him:
It also could diminish Putin’s interest in compromise and increase his temptation to escalate in Ukraine, “because if he believes he has everything to lose then he’ll believe he has nothing to lose,” Haass said.
Haass said a senior Biden official, possibly the national security adviser or the secretary of state, needs to reach out to their Russian counterpart and explain that Biden’s comment was made in the heat of the moment, doesn’t reflect U.S. policy and that they remain committed to working with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
And Fox News reported that another expert said the president’s comments would reinforce Putin’s belief that Biden wants him gone.
“Putin heard loud and clear a call for regime change,” Russian-born former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Rebekah Koffler said.
