Joe Biden on Vladimir Putin’s leadership of Russia
President Joe Biden returned home on Sunday fighting off criticism from world leaders and experts for the unscripted shot the president took at Vladimir Putin over the weekend in which he remarked that the Russian president “cannot remain in power”. The comments, which many critics say could inflame tensions and harden Mr Putin’s resolve, seemed to distract from what would otherwise be considered a successful four-day trip to Europe.
Biden aides swiftly came in over the weekend to walk back the president’s comments, explaining in interviews that Mr Biden had not been calling for a regime change in Russia but had rather been underscoring that Mr Putin “cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region,” one administration official told reporters.
The president’s remarks were made as he toured Poland, where he warned Russia not to tread one inch on a Nato ally’s soil.
The president returned home to an administration struggling to earn back the electorate’s goodwill. Mr Biden’s approval ratings have continued to bottom out on issues that matter most to voters, such as the economy, the ongoing pandemic and an increasingly complicated foreign policy crisis.
