Biden's Barbed Remark About Putin: A Slip or a Veiled Threat?

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the East Room of the White House, on Feb. 24, 2022, in Washington. Biden is in Brussels to meet with key allies and coordinate a stronger response to Russia's assault on Ukraine. But a new poll shows Americans have yet to rally around Biden's leadership. Concern about Russia has swelled and support for a major U.S. role in the conflict strengthened in the last month. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WARSAW, Poland — They were among the final few words of a carefully crafted speech. But they strayed far from the delicate balance that President Joe Biden had tried to strike during three days of wartime diplomacy in Europe.

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said Saturday, his cadence slowing for emphasis.

On its face, he appeared to be calling for President Vladimir Putin of Russia to be ousted for his brutal invasion of Ukraine. But Biden’s aides quickly insisted that the remark — delivered in front of a castle that served for centuries as a home for Polish monarchs — was not intended as an appeal for regime change.

Full story at Yahoo News.

By Michael D. Shear and David E. Sanger.