‘No’: US President Joe Biden denies calling for a regime change in Russia

US President Joe Biden on Sunday denied calling for a regime change in Russia, a day after he appeared to do exactly that during his speech from the Polish capital of Warsaw.

Responding to a reporter’s shouted question about whether he had called for a regime change in Russia, the 79-year-old flatly said, “No.”

Other officials of the Biden administration also denied that the President had called for a regime change in Russia, and CNN quoted an unnamed White House official as saying, “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.”

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Biden’s denial comes a day after his speech from Warsaw, wherein he emphasized that the Russian people were not to blame for the invasion of Ukraine, and appeared to call for a regime change.

“I’ve always spoken directly and honestly to you, the Russian people, let me say this if you’re able to listen: You the Russian people are not our enemy. I refuse to believe that you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards — for God’s sake — being pummeled with Russian missiles and bombs,” Biden had said from Warsaw.

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“These are not memories of the past. This is exactly what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine right now. This is not who you are. This is not the future you deserve for your families and your children. I’m telling you the truth. This war is not worthy of you, the Russian people,” the 79-year-old further said, driving home the point.

“For God’s sake, this man [Vladimir Putin] cannot remain in power!,” he said, concluding his speech from the Royal Castle in Warsaw.