President of the United States, Joe Biden, has stated that if he wishes to end the war in Ukraine, he will meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
This statement was made by Biden on Thursday while speaking to journalists alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a state visit in Washington DC.
Biden said he would meet Putin “if in fact there is an interest in him deciding that he’s looking for a way to end the war”.
While Biden said he had not seen Putin’s desire, he and Macron asserted they would continue to stand against Russia’s war.
In reaction, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, backed Biden saying his principal remained open to negotiations “to ensure our interests”.
Peskov said, “What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine.”
Macron also stated he had agreed with Biden that they would never urge the Ukrainians to make a compromise “that will not be acceptable for them”.