Biden stands by his Putin comments, saying he was expressing moral outrage and not a change in U.S. policy.

WASHINGTON — President Biden on Monday stood by his remark that Vladimir V. Putin mustn’t stay president of Russia, however stated it was a private expression of concern and never a change in American coverage geared toward searching for to take away Mr. Putin from workplace.

“I used to be expressing the ethical outrage I felt towards this man,” Mr. Biden informed reporters, rejecting criticism that he misspoke. He stated nobody ought to have interpreted his feedback as calling for Mr. Putin’s ouster.

“It’s ridiculous,” he stated, clearly irritated on the questions throughout an occasion during which he unveiled his 2023 finances. “No person believes I used to be speaking about taking down Putin. No person believes that.”

“I used to be expressing my outrage that he shouldn’t stay in energy,” he continued, “identical to you realize that unhealthy folks shouldn’t proceed to do unhealthy issues.”

The president’s remarks got here two days after he declared throughout a speech in Warsaw: “For God’s sake, this man can’t stay in energy,” an ad-libbed remark on the finish of his three-day diplomatic blitz in Europe.

It took simply minutes for the White Home to again away from Mr. Biden’s feedback in Warsaw that night. Reporters had simply loaded buses following his speech when an administration officers despatched an e-mail denying that the president was formally advocating Mr. Putin’s removing.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken informed journalists in Jerusalem that “we don’t have a method of regime change in Russia or anyplace else, for that matter.”

In his first prolonged feedback on the matter, Mr. Biden insisted Monday that he had not “walked again” his remark.

“The very last thing I wish to do is have interaction in a land conflict or a nuclear conflict with Russia,” Mr. Biden stated. “I used to be expressing my outrage on the conduct of this man. It’s outrageous. It’s outrageous. It’s extra an aspiration than something. He should not be in energy. Individuals like this shouldn’t be ruling international locations, however the reality they do doesn’t imply I can’t categorical my outrage.”