Speaking at a news conference Monday, Biden declined to say what the US response would be and said he had not called for regime change when he said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “could not stay in power”. Unsolicited comments in a speech to US troops in Poland sent a wave of protests around the world, with Allied leaders distancing themselves from the idea of demanding Putin’s ouster, with White House officials insisting there was no change in policy. . On Monday, Biden said he was simply “expressing the moral outrage” he felt for Mr. Putin, not “articulating a policy change.” Elsewhere, Fox News correspondent Peter Duchess asked him if other world leaders would “begin to doubt that America is back” if the main lines in Biden’s speeches “continue to decline.” Asked to clarify, Mr. Doocy cited the apparent call for regime change, as well as remarks that were interpreted as telling US troops that they would soon be in Ukraine and Mr. Biden’s assertion that the use of chemical weapons by Russia would “provoke a response to the species “. Mr Biden said: “None of the three happened. None of the three. You interpret language that way.” When asked about chemical weapons, he said: “It will elicit a significant response.” “What does this mean?” asked Mr. Doocy. “I will not tell you this. Why should I tell you that? You must be a fool,” the president replied. Mr Doocy replied: “Do people want to know?” Biden said: “People want to know a lot. “I do not tell them what the answer will be, then Russia knows the answer.” When asked by another journalist why Biden had not foreseen how his comments could be interpreted, Biden said: “This is ridiculous! No one thinks we are talking about Putin’s downfall. No one believes that. “What have I been talking about since it started? The only war worse than the one being pursued is an involuntary one. The last thing I want to do is get involved in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia.” Republicans have criticized Biden’s comments about Putin, saying they might challenge the Russian government and give it a propaganda gift.
