President Joe Biden’s speech in Warsaw was the most important speech of his presidency, commented CNN commentators who reviewed his speech in the courtyard of the Royal Palace. They were very surprised by the President’s words that Vladimir Putin “cannot stay in power.” However, the White House quickly corrected these words and explained the true intent of the statement.
“This may be the most important speech he will give as president, and certainly the most important one he will ever give,” said CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins.
She and other commentators focused on the last sentence of Biden’s speech: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” They wondered to what extent those words had been deliberate since the White House had so far been wary of suggesting regime change in Moscow.
“He’s a butcher,” President Biden said of President Putin while meeting with Ukrainian refugees, including children, in Warsaw.
He also referred to the kids in meetings with refugees at the National Stadium who asked him to pray for their dads, who are still in Ukraine.
However, the White House quickly corrected the American president’s message.
“The President’s point was Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official, who declined to be named, says after Biden said, “This man cannot remain in power.”
CNN also quoted the response of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said in a text message to the station that the decision on who wields power in Russia rests with the Russians, not Biden.
The former US military attaché in Moscow, General Peter Zwack, pointed out that during his speech Biden had spoken directly to the Russians, using for them impressive comparisons of the current war, including the siege of Leningrad.
Stanford University political scientist Larry Diamond described the US President’s Warsaw speech as “Churchillian” to sketch the generative struggle between democracy and autocracy.