The US will only get directly involved in the war against Russia and Putin's government if he attacks NATO, US president, Joe Biden has stated.
According to Biden on Wednesday, June 1, the U.S. will not push for the removal of Russian President Vladimir Putin from power, despite saying in March that Putin "cannot remain in power."
Biden made the statement in an op-ed in the New York Times, where he laid out what his administration will do and will not do in Ukraine.
"We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia," Biden wrote. "As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow."
"So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces," he added.
Back in March, White House officials had to walk back Biden's call for Putin's removal saying Biden's point was that Putin "cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region," adding that he was not pushing for "regime change."
In recent months, White House officials have walked back the president's comments on Putin's regime, his claim that U.S. troops would be deploying to Ukraine, and his statement that the U.S. military would intervene if China invaded Taiwan.