The two-minute video amounted to a tacit admission by Mr. Biden, 76, and his aides that they needed to take more action than they had since Friday, when a former Nevada assemblywoman, Lucy Flores, published an essay in which she described Mr. Biden touching her inappropriately and kissing her on the head in 2014. On Tuesday, two more women told The New York Times that the former vice president’s touches made them uncomfortable.

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And his new explanation immediately became part of a lengthening queue of remarks that have prolonged the speculation about whether he will run for president. Though he has not yet announced he would seek the 2020 Democratic nomination, Mr. Biden is widely expected to join the race soon. He began his video in a manner that suggested his entry is just a matter of time: “Folks,” he said, “in the coming month I expect to be talking to you about a whole lot of issues, and I’ll always be direct with you.”

Mr. Biden’s aides said on Wednesday that he wanted to address the accusations about his physical contact directly after listening to the women who have criticized him, as well as many other female friends, family members and advisers. They said he was particularly affected by the comments of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime friend of his who is similarly rooted in an earlier political era, when she said Tuesday that “people’s space is important to them, and what’s important is how they receive it and not necessarily how you intended it.”

Mr. Biden’s campaign-in-waiting has not ruled out the possibility of a televised interview, but advisers indicated that he was more likely to address reporters when he delivers a speech to a union conference Friday in Washington. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.