President Joe Biden's recent statement regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised alarms among foreign policy experts in the United States, who have sharply criticized his approach. On Saturday, in Poland, Biden stated that Putin cannot remain in power, asserting that the war in Ukraine is a strategic failure for Russia. The White House quickly moved to clarify Biden's remarks, emphasizing that he did not mean to call for a change in the Russian government. This is not the first time the White House has intervened to correct Biden's comments about Putin.
Just two days prior, the U.S. president made remarks that were interpreted as suggesting he wanted to send troops to Ukraine, but the White House denied that. According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail," U.S. foreign policy experts criticized Biden's "off-the-cuff" comments. They stated that his remarks could escalate tensions with Russia, even if the Kremlin has scaled back its goals in the Ukraine war.
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based think tank, expressed concern over Biden's statements that "expand the U.S. objectives in the war by calling for regime change." He added that it is not in the United States' interest to add more risks, noting that Biden's comments could increase Putin's inclination towards an existential battle that results in one side's defeat. Haass asserted that U.S. interests lie in ending the war under terms acceptable to Ukraine and de-escalating Russian aggression, and calls for "regime change" contradict those interests.
