NBC’s Peter Alexander Presses Psaki About NOT Calling for Putin Regime Change: ‘Why Should He Be Allowed To Stay In Power?’

NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander repeatedly asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki why the United States isn’t trying to topple Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin as a matter of policy.

It may seem like it was longer, but it was just 11 days ago when  President Joe Biden closed his speech  at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland with nine words about Vladimir Putin that instantly made news: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

That statement, which followed a parade of what have been described as atrocities and war crimes, touched off a blizzard of media attention that consisted of the idea that Biden may have been calling for regime change — which he and his administration quickly and categorically denied — and of giving the president the opportunity to express regret for having said it.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Mr. Alexander cited the more recent atrocities in Bucha, and asked why the U.S. views Putin “as someone who should be allowed to stay in power”:

MR. ALEXANDER: So, given these awful videos and pictures we’re seeing of the atrocities that took place in Bucha right now. Is the U.S. policy still one of no regime change in Russia? And if so, why should someone like Vladimir Putin be viewed by the U.S. as someone who should be allowed to stay in power?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I think our policy is: No, we are not calling for regime change. And that has not been our policy and continues not to be our policy.

But again, Peter, our view is that he is a war criminal, and he is somebody who should be looked at by the international system who evaluates war crimes.

MR. ALEXANDER: I guess the question — people say, “Then why not? If he’s a war criminal, why should he be allowed to stay in power?”

MS. PSAKI: Well, our policy is not to call for regime change. We’re not calling for regime change. But again, he is somebody who’s committed atrocities against the people in his country; he’s a pariah in the world. And every step we’ve taken has made that clear to the global community.

Also Tuesday, another reporter — White House Correspondents Association President Steve Portnoy — asked why the U.S. and its allies don’t attack Russia militarily in response to the atrocities.

Watch above via The White House and Fox News.