'US not seeking Russian regime change'

Washington, Mar 27: The US is not trying to topple Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. His statement comes a day after President Joe Biden said of Putin during a speech in Warsaw: For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power.

At a news conference in Jerusalem, Blinken said Biden's point was that Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else.

He said the US has repeatedly said that we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia, or anywhere else for that matter.

In this case, as in any case, it's up to the people of the country in question. It's up to the Russian people, Blinken said.

Following Biden's speech, a White House official also clarified that "The President's point was that 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."

Delivering a fiery speech on the Russia-Ukraine war, US President Joe Biden announced that the US was ready to defend every inch of Nato territory if Moscow decided to expand its aggression.

"For God's sake, this man [Putin] cannot remain in power." "Don't even think about moving on one single inch of Nato territory," Biden warned.

Russia launched its invasion last month after recognizing the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as "independent republics." One month into the invasion, Moscow continues to pound cities throughout Ukraine.

More than 3.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the Feb 24 invasion, including about 2.2 million to Poland, according to the United Nations. Within a few days, the number of refugees displaced from Ukraine since last month will exceed the number of Syrians routed from their homes over years of conflict after a 2011 uprising turned into a full-scale war.