President Biden refusing to walk back his controversial comments that Putin cannot

remain in power, the lead starts right now.

Just moments ago, President Biden insisting the U.S. is not pushing for regime change

in Russia, even though he does not think that Vladimir Putin should remain in charge.

How much weight will Biden's words carry on the eve of so-called peace talks?

A federal judge says former President Trump and one of his lawyers likely committed a crime

by trying to stop the election process on January 6, 2021.

So who decides if Trump will actually face charges?

And Will Smith's show-stopping slap hitting Chris Rock in the face after Rock joked about Jada

Pinkett Smith, a heated meeting after the Oscars that could determine Will Smith's fate with the

Academy. Hello and welcome to the lead. I'm Jake Tapper. We begin this hour with breaking

news. President Biden insisting, quote, I'm not walking anything back. The president's insisting

he stands by his unscripted remarks that this weekend that Vladimir Putin, quote, cannot remain

in power comments that were seen by many as calls for regime change in Russia. Here is Biden's

explanation. He heard me say this before. Land war or nuclear war with Russia. That's not

part of it. I was expressing my outrageous behavior of this man. It's outrageous. It's outrageous.

On the ground near the Ukrainian capital today, the mayor of Irpin says Ukrainian forces have

quote, freed that suburb from Russian invaders. The fighting and Russian bombing have intensified

in and around Keefe as Russian forces attempt to create a corridor around the capital to block

supply routes. In the southeast of the country, the mayor of Mariopol says they're quote,

in the hands of the occupiers, that city has been flattened by nonstop Russian bombing in a

week's long siege by the Russians. Ukraine's military intelligence chief is warning that Putin could

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