Biden slammed for ‘dangerous’ gaffe that could escalate war in Ukraine after saying Putin ‘cannot remain in power’

JOE Biden sparked chaos with an unscripted gaffe vowing Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” - which experts said risks prolonging the war in Ukraine.

The White House frantically backtracked and insisted the US President, 79, was not calling for regime change in his speech in Poland yesterday.

Biden's apparently off-the-cuff remark sparked fury in Moscow and also rang alarm bells in the West.

Experts said the gaffe - Biden's second in two days - would be taken in Russia as confirmation the US is bent on overthrowing Putin. 

Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, called it a bad lapse in discipline which risked extending the scope and duration of Putin’s war. 

He said: “The President just expanded US war aims, calling for regime change. 

"However desirable it may be, it is not within our power to accomplish.

"It runs the risk it will increase Putin’s inclination to see this as a fight to the finish, raising the odds he will reject compromise, escalate, or both. 

“The comments made a difficult situation more difficult and a dangerous situation more dangerous.”

The veteran diplomat added: “What’s frustrating about this is, up to now, the Biden administration has conducted itself with significant discipline. This goes against the grain of their handling of this crisis.

“They obviously recognise that, they walked it back in a matter of minutes. The problem is, from Putin’s point of view the President revealed his and our true intentions.

“There ought to be two priorities right now: Ending the war on terms Ukraine can accept, and discouraging any escalation by Putin. And this comment was inconsistent with both of those goals.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmity Peskov said: “It is not up to the President of the US and not up to the Americans to decide who will remain in power in Russia.”

White House officials clarified within minutes that Mr Biden was not calling for regime change.

A spokesman said: “The president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region.” 

Emmanuel Macron was among those who sounded disapproval at Biden's remarks, saying they could make it harder to resolve the conflict.

The French President said: "I think we must do everything to avoid the situation getting out of hand. I wouldn't use those terms, because I'm still in talks with President Putin."

He said the "collective goal" was to end the war "without escalating things".

Mr Macron added: "This is the objective. If we want to do this, we must not be in the escalation of either words of actions."

Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed his White House successor was "almost giving him (Putin) an incentive" to use nuclear weapons.

When asked by Newsmax whether he thought the Russin leader may use nukes, the ex-US President said: "When you put him into a corner and when you talk the way they're talking, you know, they're talking weak and yet they're almost giving him an incentive.

"They're (the Biden administration) handling him very badly, in my opinion."

The UK government has distanced itself from Biden's comments, saying regime change is "up to the Russian people".

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News: "I think that’s up to the Russian people.

"The Russian people, I think, are pretty fed up with what is happening in Ukraine, this illegal invasion, the destruction of their own livelihoods, their economy is collapsing around them and I think the Russian people will decide the fate of Putin and his cronies.

"It’s an illegal invasion of Ukraine and that must end, and I think that’s what the president was talking about.”

It was the second day in a row that the White House had been forced to clarify comments made by the president.  

On Friday, the White House said American troops would not be going into Ukraine after Biden appeared to suggest there could be “boots on the ground”.

He told soldiers in Poland: "You're going to see when you're there – some of you have been there – you're going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank, saying, 'I'm not leaving'."

'LONG FIGHT AHEAD'

Yesterday in Warsaw Biden warned the West would intervene if the Russian leader moved on to “one single inch of Nato territory”. 

Decrying Putin's slaughter of civilians, he added: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

During the speech, he also said the world must prepare for a “long fight ahead” and said the battle “will not be won in days or months”. 

He added: “Brutality will never grind down the will to be free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia.”

And quoting Pope John Paul II, he said: “Never, ever give up hope, never doubt, never tire, never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”

Mr Biden also sent a direct message to the people of Russia to say they are “not the enemy”.

It comes after Russian missiles injured at least five people in Ukraine's largest western city - less than 24 hours after Putin vowed to focus his army on the east.

Locals were urged to find shelter after two huge blasts. A fuel storage facility was set ablaze in the attack.

Thick black smoke was seen rising from a TV tower as air raid sirens were activated in the city, which is just 45miles from Nato member Poland's border.

Ukraine estimates it has killed 16,600 Russian troops so far in the war and destroyed 582 tanks.

And today we revealed a Russian soldier surrendered a tank in return for £7,500 and Ukrainian citizenship.