'Regime Change' in Russia Not One of NATO's Goals, Germany's Scholz Says

© AP Photo / Michael KappelerFrom left, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi pose for a group photo during an extraordinary NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, March 24, 2022.
From left, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi pose for a group photo during an extraordinary NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, March 24, 2022. - Sputnik International, 1920, 27.03.2022
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BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says NATO does not have a goal of implementing a "regime change" in Russia.
"This is not the objective of NATO, nor that of the US president", Scholz said in an interview with the German broadcaster ARD, adding that he had discussed the issue with US President Joe Biden at the White House and both of the leaders agreed that "regime change" in Russia is not a NATO policy goal.
Scholz added that Germany supports the spread of democracy but believes that it is up to the people and nations to fight for it.
The chancellor also said that Germany will work on eliminating dependence on Russian energy imports and expects its dependence on Russian coal and oil to significantly diminish this year.

During a Saturday speech in Warsaw, Biden stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". A White House official said on Saturday that Biden's remark did not endorse a regime change in Russia but rather suggested that "Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region".

Asked by a reporter whether he was calling for a "regime change", Biden said "no," when leaving a church service in Washington on Sunday.
France's President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he talks to the press on the second day of a European Union (EU) summit at the EU Headquarters, in Brussels on March 25, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 27.03.2022
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