Over Ukraine crisis, Joe Biden-Vladimir Putin agree to meet on condition of no invasion

The meeting, proposed by the French President would occur only if Russia doesn’t invade Ukraine, U.S. officials said

February 21, 2022

France pushes for Biden-Putin meeting

Amid escalated tensions in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit to discuss a possible path out from one of the most dangerous European crises in decades.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday he had pitched both leaders on a summit over “security and strategic stability in Europe.”

The White House’s statement said that Biden had accepted the meeting “in principle” but only “if an invasion hasn’t happened.”

The official handle of White House tweeted, “President Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France today. They discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.”

President Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France today. They discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2022

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war.”

Reportedly, there was an exchange of many phone calls between Macron, Biden, Putin, and British leader Boris Johnson, but what has been discussed is unclear.

Macron’s office and the White House said that the substance of the summit would be worked out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their upcoming meeting planned for February 24.

The news comes after a week of heightened tensions spurred by Russia’s military buildup all around the Ukrainian border. Russian forces have been amassing around its neighbor since late last year, something Western countries say is a prelude to an invasion. Tensions had risen further when satellite images appeared to show new deployments of Russian armor and troops in farms and forests close to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “Everything we are seeing suggests that this is deadly serious.” But he said he hoped the invasion could still be averted by peaceful means.

“Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward,” Blinken said.

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