Joe Biden says Putin will have to make a deal with Ukraine after losses in counteroffensive

Joe Biden speaks at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP

Joe Biden said he expected Ukraine's counteroffensive to eventually lead to talks to end the war with Russia.

The US president said he didn't believe Moscow could survive the war for years and Vladimir Putin is “already lost.”

He also warned that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenaries who led a failed mutiny against Putin last month, should be wary of poisoning.< /p>

Mr. Biden, speaking in Helsinki, Finland, said: “Putin has already lost the war. Putin has a real problem — how does he move from here, what does he do? He has no chance of winning the war in Ukraine. He has already lost this war.”

He said he didn't think that «Russia will be able to wage war forever in terms of its resources or capabilities», adding that «in the end, President Putin will decide that this is not the case.» interests of Russia economically, politically or otherwise» to continue the conflict.

The President added: «I hope and expect that you will see that Ukraine will make significant progress in their offensive and that somewhere along the way it will lead to a negotiated settlement.”

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Asked about Prigozhin, Biden said he was «not even sure where he is» or what his relationship with Putin is, and «only God knows what he can do.» He said: «If I were him, I would watch what I ate … watch my menu.»

He said he did not believe that Putin would use nuclear weapons, adding: «I don't think that there is some real prospect, how do you know that Putin will use nuclear weapons [in Ukraine]. Not only China, but the rest of the world said, «Don't go there, don't go there.»

In addition to meeting Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki, Mr. Biden met with the leaders of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Sweden is poised to become NATO's 32nd member.

Mr Biden said the recent NATO summit in Lithuania showed that the alliance is «more united than ever.» He said that Ukraine would someday join, but this could not happen while Kiev was still at war with Moscow.

He said: “No one can join NATO while there is a war where there is a NATO nation. be attacked because it ensures that we are at war and we are in World War III. So it's not about whether they should or shouldn't join. It's about when they can join. And they will join NATO.”

Mr. Biden also assured that the US will remain committed to NATO in the long term, saying: “I absolutely guarantee it. No one can guarantee the future, but it's the best bet you can make.»