Just one day after the White House had to walk back President Joe Biden's assertion that members of our Army would be going to Ukraine, they are now walking back his call for regime change in Russia.
Speaking outside the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power."
"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden declared at the conclusion of his speech. "For god's sake this man can not remain in power!"
After denying NATO enlargement has anything to do with destabilizing Russia, Biden closes his Poland address with a stentorian demand for regime change in Moscow.
Washington's ultimate goal, made plain. pic.twitter.com/vjg6Vxs7dw
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 26, 2022
The White House quickly set out to correct the president, claiming that he was not, in fact, calling for regime change.
"The President's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region," a White House official said in a statement. "He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change."
As Timcast previously reported, the White House also had to correct Biden on Friday.
Speaking to troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division stationed in Rzeszów, Poland, Biden said that they would be going to Ukraine.
"You're going to see when you're there, you're going to see women, young people standing in the middle, in the front of a damn tank saying 'I'm not leaving,'" Biden told the troops while meeting with them on Friday. Biden tells the 82nd Airborne they're going to Ukraine:
"You’re going to see when you’re there, you’re going to see women, young people standing in the middle, in the front of a damn tank saying 'I’m not leaving.'" pic.twitter.com/M2nu77yUw7
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 25, 2022
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other US officials were also present during the meeting.
During his first State of Union address at the beginning of March, Biden promised that he would not be putting American boots on the ground in Ukraine.
"Let me be clear -- our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine," Biden vowed.
On Friday afternooon, a spokesperson told White House reporter Andrew Feinberg that there has been no change in their position about sending troops to Ukraine. UPDATE: A @WhiteHouse spokesperson tells me: "The President has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position."
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) March 25, 2022
"A White House spokesperson tells me: 'The President has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position,'" Feinberg tweeted.
There are approximately 10,500 US troops stationed in Poland and roughly 100,000 across Europe.
