Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden agreed on Monday to meet at a summit, proposed by Emmanuel Macron on the condition that an invasion of Ukraine has not taken place by then. This surprise announcement comes as a war was given for imminent.
“Presidents Biden and Putin have each accepted the principle of such a summit”, welcomed the Elysée in a press release, specifying that the talks will subsequently be extended to “all stakeholders” in the crisis. Ukrainian.
But this summit “can only be held if Russia does not invade Ukraine”, warned the French presidency. Joe Biden will meet Vladimir Putin “if an invasion has not taken place”, the White House has confirmed, in the absence of comments from the Kremlin at first.
The United States “is committed to continuing diplomacy until such time as an invasion begins,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. “President Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with President Putin (…) if an invasion has not taken place,” she continued.
“We are also prepared to inflict swift and severe consequences if Russia chooses war instead,” Ms. Psaki warned, however, “and currently Russia appears to be continuing its preparations for a full-scale attack on the Ukraine very soon”.
