2023-07-14 09:17:12
US President Joe Biden said on the 13th that “Russian President Vladimir Putin is already losing the war in Ukraine,” and “There is absolutely no chance that Putin (Russian President) will win the war.”
President Biden, who is visiting Helsinki, Finland, spoke at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö right following the US-Five Northern European countries (Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) summit that day.
President Biden emphasized, “Given Russia’s resources and capabilities, it cannot sustain a war permanently,” and nailed it, saying, “I don’t think Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will last for many years.”
President Biden then diagnosed that President Putin might stop the war at any time.
“Putin (Russian President) will decide that it is not in Russia’s interest to continue the war, whether for economic or political reasons or whatever,” he said. “He can end the war even tomorrow.”
“I can’t predict exactly what’s going to happen,” he said, “what kind of agreement will ultimately be reached depends on Putin and what he decides to do.”
“My hope and expectation is that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will make progress and at some point result in negotiations[with Russia],” he said.
◼︎ “Nuclear weapons will not be used”
“I do not foresee that Putin will use nuclear weapons,” he said.
“Not just the West, but China and everywhere else in the world have been telling us not to do that,” he added.
In addition, President Biden said, following Finland’s formal membership in NATO in April, if Sweden joins soon, “the world will be safer and less likely to break out in war.”
Sweden, which submitted an application to join NATO together with Finland in May last year, failed to become a member due to Turkey’s opposition.
Then, on the 10th, just before the opening of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Türkiye withdrew his opposition, effectively opening the way to becoming NATO’s 32nd member state.
See also: Biden “Welcomes Sweden to the 32nd NATO Alliance”…withdrawal of anti-Turkeye stance
◼︎ “Ukraine will also join NATO someday…guaranteed”
At a conference on the 13th, President Biden said, “NATO is working with a serious attitude to protect all (members’) territories,” and emphasized that “we will further contribute to the security of all NATO alliances.”
NATO accession, which Ukraine has hoped for, is “absolutely guaranteed by me,” he said.
President Biden repeatedly emphasized that “Ukraine will join NATO,” and “the question is when it will be.”
However, it was nailed down that “no country can join NATO during a war.”
At the NATO summit on the 11th and 12th, it was decided to confirm the principles of Ukraine’s joining NATO and proceed with the expedited procedure, but neither an official invitation nor a related timetable was presented.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky protested.
See also: Biden-NATO Secretary General agrees to Ukraine’s ‘future member’ proposal…Criticism of Zelensky “absurd”
Meanwhile, President Biden also said at a conference on the same day (13th) that he was considering exchanging prisoners for the release of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gersikovic, an American journalist who was arrested on suspicion of espionage in March and detained by Russian authorities.
See also: Russian ‘espionage charges’ American journalist denied release… Zelensky-Putin visits battle site ‘reciprocal fire’
This is VOA News Jongsu Oh.
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