White House says Biden not calling for regime change in Russia

US President Joe Biden was not calling for regime change in Russia when he said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” a White House official said.

“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 official said following Biden's speech in Warsaw.

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Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s chief spokesman dismissed Biden’s remark, saying Russians choose who their leader should be.

Asked about Biden’s comment, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters: “That's not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians.”

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