Connect with us

News

Biden’s improvised comment on Putin during Warsaw speech looms over White House

Published

on

Biden’s improvised comment on Putin during Warsaw speech looms over White House

The White Home and Biden himself have swiftly tried to downplay the President’s remark, which was made on the finish of a capstone handle in Warsaw. The administration and allies say Biden wasn’t calling for regime change to take away Putin from energy. Reasonably, they argue that Biden was saying Putin can’t be allowed to train energy over neighboring nations.

The remark, which got here on the very finish of a two-country go to to Europe meant to strengthen alliances, wasn’t deliberate and shocked aides who have been watching Biden’s speech on tv or on the occasion web site. And the phrases hadn’t been one thing Biden raised as probably together with in his speech — beforehand, US officers have been adamant that altering the federal government in Moscow wasn’t one in every of their goals. In closed-door conferences earlier within the week, Biden instructed fellow leaders at NATO that he didn’t need to escalate the West’s confrontation with Russia.

But his ad-libbed line did extra to pit him straight in opposition to Putin than something to date within the battle.

Now, Biden and White Home officers are anticipated to face questions in regards to the feedback.

Advertisement

The White Home took the uncommon step of revealing that the President expects to deal with questions when he delivers remarks on his finances proposal Monday afternoon. And later Monday, financial officers will transient the press in Washington.

‘He is a butcher’

Individuals who spoke to Biden earlier than and after the speech described him as personally affected after visiting with refugees on the nationwide stadium in Warsaw, the place girls requested him to wish for the boys — husbands, sons and brothers — who had stayed behind to battle.

Requested by reporters touring with the President what seeing the refugees made him assume as he offers with Putin day by day, Biden responded, “He is a butcher.”

Immediately forward of the speech, the President had additionally been briefed by officers a couple of collection of missile strikes on a gas depot in Lviv, Ukraine, a western metropolis not removed from the Polish border. The timing appeared hardly coincidental as Biden was visiting Warsaw.

Advertisement

Regardless of the Biden administration’s fast walk-back of the feedback about Putin’s energy, they obscured the remainder of Biden’s speech, which targeted on reassuring NATO allies the US would come to their protection if Putin pushes additional into Europe. White Home aides had been engaged on writing the speech for days, together with within the hours main as much as the handle.

Vinay Reddy, Biden’s high speechwriter, and Mike Donilon, his senior adviser who helps craft the President’s main speeches, each traveled to Europe with Biden and have been concerned in writing the speech.

A sample emerges

The clarification the White Home issued on Saturday was a minimum of the third time an administration official felt obliged to wash up remarks Biden made that appeared, on their very own, startling and misaligned with US international coverage.

As he was hailing the heroism of the Ukrainians, Biden instructed US troops, “You are going to see whenever you’re there” — despite the fact that he is vowed American forces will not be getting into the battle straight. Afterward, a spokesman mentioned nothing had modified: “The President has been clear we’re not sending US troops to Ukraine.”

Advertisement

And after Biden mentioned he would reply “in sort” to the usage of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine, Sullivan assured reporters the US has “no intention of utilizing chemical weapons interval, beneath any circumstance.”

Biden has a well-established sample of talking out of hand, although maybe by no means with stakes so excessive. White Home officers mentioned earlier than Biden’s speech the President had been working intently behind the scenes to strengthen cooperation amongst his counterparts.

“He sleeps method much less on these sorts of journeys than possibly different journeys as a result of he is simply going, going, going — like, needs to speak to the subsequent chief; you recognize, take the subsequent briefing,” Sullivan mentioned Friday halfway by Biden’s flight from Brussels to Rzeszów, in southeastern Poland, the place he was assembly with American troopers.

‘I would not use phrases like that’

Regardless of the White Home’s fast walk-back, the feedback have continued to spark reactions by world leaders.

Advertisement

Earlier than the White Home had issued its clarification, the Kremlin issued its personal response, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the destiny of the Russian ruler is “to not be determined by Mr. Biden.”

Peskov then mentioned on Monday that the feedback “are actually inflicting concern,” including, “We are going to proceed to carefully monitor the statements of the US President. We rigorously observe them and can proceed to take action.”

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, instructed NBC Information’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “We heard President Biden loud and clear, that the US will support and will likely be with Ukraine on this battle.”

“We clearly perceive in Ukraine that anybody who’s a struggle prison, who assaults a neighboring nation, who’s doing all these atrocities along with all of the Russians which might be concerned positively can not keep in energy in a civilized world. Now, it is all as much as all of us to cease Putin,” she added.

French President Emmanuel Macron — who mentioned final week that France was “stepping up” the work to stop escalation of the struggle in Ukraine however has dominated out the French army’s direct participation — advised Biden’s feedback weren’t useful for diplomatic efforts.

Advertisement

“I would not use phrases like that as a result of I am nonetheless in talks with President Putin,” Macron mentioned throughout an interview on Sunday with French Channel France 3.

“Our aim is to cease the struggle Russia launched in Ukraine, whereas avoiding a struggle and escalation,” the French President added.

On the home entrance, Democrats largely repeated the White Home’s clarification. However some Republicans criticized the President for the off-the-cuff feedback.

As he praised Biden’s speech in Poland, Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, the highest Republican on the Senate Overseas Relations committee, instructed CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, “There was a horrendous gaffe proper on the finish of it. I simply want he would keep on script.”

“This administration has performed the whole lot they’ll to cease escalating,” Risch mentioned, including, “There’s not an entire lot extra you are able to do to escalate than to name for regime change.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, lead Republican on the Home Overseas Affairs Committee, instructed “State of the Union,” “I do know it was off the cuff, however regardless of the President says, it carries numerous weight. … On this case, it sends a really provocative message to Mr. Putin.”

Advertisement

And Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman, additionally instructed “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Biden’s comment “performs into the palms of the Russian propagandists and performs into the palms of Vladimir Putin,” later including that “we’re in a struggle state of affairs, and so readability is extremely necessary.”

CNN’s Sarah Diab, Fred Pleitgen, Sarah Fortinsky and Ali Foremost contributed to this report.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Dozens feared dead as Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes in Kazakhstan

Published

on

Dozens feared dead as Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes in Kazakhstan

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 62 passengers and five crew has crashed while making an emergency landing at a Kazakhstan airport, with 29 survivors, including two children, taken to hospital.

Videos on local media showed a large explosion after the aircraft crashed into an empty field. Images from the scene showed passengers climbing out of the tail of the fuselage aided by emergency workers.

Those aboard were from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian state Ria news agency reported, citing Kazakhstan’s transport ministry.

Advertisement

Local media outlets reported that nine of those taken to hospital were in serious condition and that search and rescue operations were under way.

The plane, an Embraer 190, was travelling to Grozny in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, but was diverted to Aktau after flying into heavy fog.

Early media reports suggested that the plane hit a flock of birds, which affected control of the aircraft.

“After a collision with birds, due to an emergency situation on board the aircraft, its commander decided to go to an alternate airfield and Aktau was chosen,” Ria reported, citing Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsia. Local media also shared unconfirmed reports of an explosion of an oxygen canister onboard, leading many passengers to lose consciousness.

Baku has sent an official delegation to Kazakhstan to investigate the incident, Azerbaijan’s APA news agency said. The country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, left an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Russia to return to Baku. He expressed his condolences to the those affected by the crash.

Advertisement

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had also extended his condolences to Azerbaijan’s leader.

Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased on social media. “We pray to the Almighty for [the survivors’] recovery.”

Photos on social media showed relatives gathering in Grozny airport to wait for news of their loved ones.

One man at Grozny airport said he had just received a video in which he could see his nephew had survived the crash. “Of course I am very happy,” he told a Ria news reporter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

NYC cab jumps curb, injures 7 on Christmas Day

Published

on

NYC cab jumps curb, injures 7 on Christmas Day

STORY: :: A New York taxi jumping the sidewalk

injures 7 people on Christmas Day

:: Police said the incident happened after

the cab driver suffered a medical episode

:: December 25, 2024

Advertisement

:: New York

The incident took place in Midtown Manhattan near Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square near the corner of West 34th Street and Avenue of the Americas, or Sixth Avenue. The store, with its elaborately decorated display windows, is a magnet for tourists and native New Yorkers around the holidays.

In addition to the 58-year-old taxi driver, the injured included a 9-year-old boy, two women aged 49 and four other women aged 19, 37 and 41, police added.

One 49-year-old woman with a leg injury, the 9-year-old boy who suffered a cut and the 41-year-old woman who sustained an injury to her head were taken to hospital, police said.

The remaining three pedestrians declined medical attention, according to police, which added that all injuries were non-life-threatening.

Advertisement

Media images of the cab showed a heavily damaged vehicle with broken parts and dents all over it.

Continue Reading

News

Russia launches Christmas Day attack on Ukraine’s energy system

Published

on

Russia launches Christmas Day attack on Ukraine’s energy system

Stay informed with free updates

Russia has carried out a Christmas Day attack on Ukraine’s energy system, leaving more than half a million people without heating, water and electricity. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack, the 13th large-scale assault of 2024 on the country’s grid, was “deliberate” and not a coincidence. “What could be more inhuman?” he wrote on X.

About 50 of the 70 missiles fired in the attack were intercepted, along with a “significant” portion of the more than 100 attack drones deployed, he added.

Advertisement

This year Ukrainians marked Christmas Day on December 25 for the second time, after switching to the western Gregorian calendar last year. The decision to stop celebrating Christmas on January 7 in line with the Orthodox calendar was made by Kyiv to break with Russian influence.

Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, told Ukraine’s national television news that the attack had left more than 500,000 people without heating, water and electricity.

Temperatures across Ukraine are around freezing point.

Heating supplies were also cut in some areas of Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, in the west and south of the country. 

Ukraine’s energy grid operator, Ukrenergo, urged consumers to limit consumption by not switching on multiple appliances at once, adding that the system was still recovering from the previous Russian attack on December 13.

Advertisement

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said that its power stations had been damaged and one of its long-term employees killed.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, said on X that the attack reflects Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response to “those who spoke about illusionary ‘Christmas ceasefire’”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said last week that Zelenskyy had rejected his proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange on the January 7 Orthodox Christmas.

Ukraine denied that such a proposal was ever on the table, asking Hungary to “refrain from manipulations” regarding the war. On Friday, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, described it as “PR, a move” by Orbán.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending