WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he would talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine if the Russian leader is serious about ending his invasion, after previously saying only Ukraine’s leaders can decide when to hold peace talks.
“I’m prepared to speak with Mr. Putin, if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war,” Biden said Thursday in a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“He hasn’t done that yet,” Biden said. “If that’s the case, in consultation with my French and NATO friends, I’ll be happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind.”
