US President Joe Biden said Thursday he is open to holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine invasion, but only if he wants to end the war. Biden was speaking during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.&nbsp;

At a joint news conference, Biden said, "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. He hasn't done that yet."&nbsp;

"If that's the case, in consultation with my French and my NATO friends, I'll be happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind. He hasn't done that yet."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/emmanuel-macron-calls-for-us-france-to-be-brothers-in-arms-during-white-house-visit-539216">Macron, Biden pledge to hold Russia accountable for committing 'war crimes' in Ukraine</a>

Both Biden and Macron also vowed support for Ukraine and pledged to hold Moscow accountable for war crimes.

"There's one way for this war to end, the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one. But it appears he's not. Bombing nurseries, hospitals, children's homes. It's sick what he's doing," he said.

"The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension," Biden said.

"He's miscalculated every single thing he initially calculated."

Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February earlier this year, Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, both warned it of consequences if it attacked.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Macron told reporters that he planned to talk to Putin over the security of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine.

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"I will continue to talk to President Putin," Macron said.&nbsp;

Macron also said that he would not push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into any peace plan that he does not accept.

"We will never urge the Ukrainians to make a compromise that will not be acceptable for them," Macron said.

Talking about Zelensky, Macron said the Ukrainian president has shown a "real willingness" to pursue peace, adding, "Our job must be to work together with him."

Under Zelensky, Ukraine has staged a huge counter-attack on Russia and taken back several territories.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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US President Joe Biden said Thursday he is open to holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine invasion, but only if he wants to end the war.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday he is open to holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine invasion, but only if he wants to end the war. Biden was speaking during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. At a joint news conference, Biden said, "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. He hasn't done that yet." "If that's the case, in consultation with my French and my NATO friends, I'll be happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind. He hasn't done that yet." Also Read | Macron, Biden pledge to hold Russia accountable for committing 'war crimes' in Ukraine Both Biden and Macron also vowed support for Ukraine and pledged to hold Moscow accountable for war crimes. "There's one way for this war to end, the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one. But it appears he's not. Bombing nurseries, hospitals, children's homes. It's sick what he's doing," he said. "The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension," Biden said. "He's miscalculated every single thing he initially calculated." Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February earlier this year, Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, both warned it of consequences if it attacked. Meanwhile, Macron told reporters that he planned to talk to Putin over the security of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine. × "I will continue to talk to President Putin," Macron said. Macron also said that he would not push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into any peace plan that he does not accept. "We will never urge the Ukrainians to make a compromise that will not be acceptable for them," Macron said. Talking about Zelensky, Macron said the Ukrainian president has shown a "real willingness" to pursue peace, adding, "Our job must be to work together with him." Under Zelensky, Ukraine has staged a huge counter-attack on Russia and taken back several territories. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Biden says ready to talk to Putin, but only if he wants to end the war

For a while, it wasn’t clear that this week’s meeting in Geneva between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Biden would go ahead.

Mr. Biden, seeking his first encounter as president with Mr. Putin, made the invitation in mid-April; but it took until the end of May for the summit to be confirmed. Despite Mr. Putin’s experience with American presidents — he’s dealt with four, across two decades — the Kremlin, Russian officials said, was considering the risk that Mr. Biden would use the meeting to publicly lecture his Russian counterpart on democracy and human rights.

The caution seemed reasonable. After all, the new American administration, especially by comparison with its predecessor, devotes considerable attention to promoting human rights across the globe. And Mr. Biden set out his stall when he agreed in an interview in March that Mr. Putin is a “killer.”

Yet the Kremlin eventually accepted the invitation. Why? Besides the chance to de-escalate tensions, there’s one very good reason: Mr. Putin has nothing to fear from Mr. Biden. Enduringly popular and freshly buoyed by the quashing of the opposition, Russia’s president has ample cause to feel secure. Whatever the American president might say in Geneva — or his administration do, by way of sanctions — will not affect Mr. Putin’s rule in Russia.

The first impediment for Mr. Biden is straightforward: His message will not get a good airing. Television, dominated by channels run or controlled by the state, remains the main source of news for three-quarters of Russians, so most people in Russia will see the American president through the Kremlin’s eyes. Independent media, recently curtailed by the authorities declaring several prominent outlets to be “foreign agents,” won’t be able to redress the imbalance.

Yet even without this media filter, Mr. Putin has no reason to fear any aspersions Mr. Biden might cast his way. Though the president’s popularity has waned a touch since its peak in 2014, he retains the trust and approval of over 60 percent of Russians, according to Levada Center, an independent and highly respected polling organization. This might be more inertia and apathy than a conscious political affiliation, but the result is the same. The opposition can only dream about such ratings: Support for the most prominent opposition leader, Aleksei Navalny, doesn’t rise above 20 percent.

The blame for that can’t be placed squarely on the Kremlin. Though the opposition is hampered by a range of state restrictions, the fact remains that opposition rallies do not attract significant numbers of participants. The last big protest in support of Mr. Navalny — one of the largest displays of dissent in the past decade — brought between 51,000 and 120,000 people to 109 cities across the country on April 21, according to opposition outlets. But even if you take the higher number, that amounts to less than 0.1 percent of the country’s population. Protesting is a minority interest.

And that’s not just because Russian authorities have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to brutally suppress gatherings. Many people unhappy with life in Russia stay away from protests because they don’t associate themselves with the organizers and don’t believe they can bring about change from the street. In a recent survey by the Levada Center, only 21 percent of respondents said they would consider going to a rally in support of economic demands, and even fewer, 16 percent, said they’d go in support of political demands. There are demographic divides — young people are generally more eager to protest — but that doesn’t really change the picture.

What’s more, those ready to actively challenge Mr. Putin’s rule have been repressed. Mr. Navalny, who returned to the country in January in the hope of setting off a substantive movement to oppose Mr. Putin, was imprisoned with a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Many of his allies were jailed, while others fled the country. And last week, his organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, whose activities were already suspended, was officially labeled “extremist” — effectively preventing its activists from running in future elections and further intimidating supporters.

It’s not just Mr. Navalny. Another opposition network — Open Russia, founded by a former oil tycoon and now exiled Kremlin critic, Mikhail Khodorkovsky — recently announced its closure, hoping to protect its coordinators. That didn’t stop the arrest on May 31 of one of the group’s executives, Andrey Pivovarov, who now faces up to six years in prison. Fearing the same fate, another prominent opposition figure, Dmitry Gudkov, fled to Ukraine in early June.

Ahead of September’s legislative elections, the authorities have disbanded the opposition and docked the media, closing down the space for dissent. But a majority of Russians, consumed by the concerns of everyday life and long inured to Mr. Putin’s rule, don’t seem to care much. With them, Mr. Biden’s message about the inviolability of human rights and the sanctity of democracy — both of which are slipping away in Russia, to no general uproar — is likely to ring hollow.

Even among Russians who actively support democracy, the rule of law and human rights, Mr. Biden won’t find much support. Over the past decades, many Russian liberals have become disillusioned with the West, especially the United States. For some, America’s image started to crack with the bombing of Yugoslavia and the war in Iraq. For others, it was the revelations of WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden, which brought to light a host of America’s covert operations and dirty dealings, that soured feelings of admiration.

And for many, the presidency of Donald Trump — during which Washington abandoned international agreements, treated allies as clients, badly mismanaged the pandemic and, most important, exacerbated political polarization and social dysfunction — definitively stripped America of its authority. With this legacy, no American president would have a substantial audience in Russia.

Secure internally and with little to lose, Vladimir Putin is ready for President Biden. As for his image in the United States and the rest of the West, it’s fair to assume — after years as their arch-villain and evil mastermind — that Mr. Putin couldn’t care less.

For a while, it wasn’t clear that this week’s meeting in Geneva between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Biden would go ahead. Mr. Biden, seeking his first encounter as president with Mr.

For a while, it wasn’t clear that this week’s meeting in Geneva between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Biden would go ahead. Mr. Biden, seeking his first encounter as president with Mr. Putin, made the invitation in mid-April; but it took until the end of May for the summit to be confirmed. Despite Mr. Putin’s experience with American presidents — he’s dealt with four, across two decades — the Kremlin, Russian officials said, was considering the risk that Mr. Biden would use the meeting to publicly lecture his Russian counterpart on democracy and human rights. The caution seemed reasonable. After all, the new American administration, especially by comparison with its predecessor, devotes considerable attention to promoting human rights across the globe. And Mr. Biden set out his stall when he agreed in an interview in March that Mr. Putin is a “killer.” Yet the Kremlin eventually accepted the invitation. Why? Besides the chance to de-escalate tensions, there’s one very good reason: Mr. Putin has nothing to fear from Mr. Biden. Enduringly popular and freshly buoyed by the quashing of the opposition, Russia’s president has ample cause to feel secure. Whatever the American president might say in Geneva — or his administration do, by way of sanctions — will not affect Mr. Putin’s rule in Russia. The first impediment for Mr. Biden is straightforward: His message will not get a good airing. Television, dominated by channels run or controlled by the state, remains the main source of news for three-quarters of Russians, so most people in Russia will see the American president through the Kremlin’s eyes. Independent media, recently curtailed by the authorities declaring several prominent outlets to be “foreign agents,” won’t be able to redress the imbalance. Yet even without this media filter, Mr. Putin has no reason to fear any aspersions Mr. Biden might cast his way. Though the president’s popularity has waned a touch since its peak in 2014, he retains the trust and approval of over 60 percent of Russians, according to Levada Center, an independent and highly respected polling organization. This might be more inertia and apathy than a conscious political affiliation, but the result is the same. The opposition can only dream about such ratings: Support for the most prominent opposition leader, Aleksei Navalny, doesn’t rise above 20 percent. The blame for that can’t be placed squarely on the Kremlin. Though the opposition is hampered by a range of state restrictions, the fact remains that opposition rallies do not attract significant numbers of participants. The last big protest in support of Mr. Navalny — one of the largest displays of dissent in the past decade — brought between 51,000 and 120,000 people to 109 cities across the country on April 21, according to opposition outlets. But even if you take the higher number, that amounts to less than 0.1 percent of the country’s population. Protesting is a minority interest. And that’s not just because Russian authorities have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to brutally suppress gatherings. Many people unhappy with life in Russia stay away from protests because they don’t associate themselves with the organizers and don’t believe they can bring about change from the street. In a recent survey by the Levada Center, only 21 percent of respondents said they would consider going to a rally in support of economic demands, and even fewer, 16 percent, said they’d go in support of political demands. There are demographic divides — young people are generally more eager to protest — but that doesn’t really change the picture. What’s more, those ready to actively challenge Mr. Putin’s rule have been repressed. Mr. Navalny, who returned to the country in January in the hope of setting off a substantive movement to oppose Mr. Putin, was imprisoned with a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Many of his allies were jailed, while others fled the country. And last week, his organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, whose activities were already suspended, was officially labeled “extremist” — effectively preventing its activists from running in future elections and further intimidating supporters. It’s not just Mr. Navalny. Another opposition network — Open Russia, founded by a former oil tycoon and now exiled Kremlin critic, Mikhail Khodorkovsky — recently announced its closure, hoping to protect its coordinators. That didn’t stop the arrest on May 31 of one of the group’s executives, Andrey Pivovarov, who now faces up to six years in prison. Fearing the same fate, another prominent opposition figure, Dmitry Gudkov, fled to Ukraine in early June. Ahead of September’s legislative elections, the authorities have disbanded the opposition and docked the media, closing down the space for dissent. But a majority of Russians, consumed by the concerns of everyday life and long inured to Mr. Putin’s rule, don’t seem to care much. With them, Mr. Biden’s message about the inviolability of human rights and the sanctity of democracy — both of which are slipping away in Russia, to no general uproar — is likely to ring hollow. Even among Russians who actively support democracy, the rule of law and human rights, Mr. Biden won’t find much support. Over the past decades, many Russian liberals have become disillusioned with the West, especially the United States. For some, America’s image started to crack with the bombing of Yugoslavia and the war in Iraq. For others, it was the revelations of WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden, which brought to light a host of America’s covert operations and dirty dealings, that soured feelings of admiration. And for many, the presidency of Donald Trump — during which Washington abandoned international agreements, treated allies as clients, badly mismanaged the pandemic and, most important, exacerbated political polarization and social dysfunction — definitively stripped America of its authority. With this legacy, no American president would have a substantial audience in Russia. Secure internally and with little to lose, Vladimir Putin is ready for President Biden. As for his image in the United States and the rest of the West, it’s fair to assume — after years as their arch-villain and evil mastermind — that Mr. Putin couldn’t care less.

Sorry, Biden. Putin honestly could not care less

The White House said on Saturday that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold a joint press conference after their meet. Biden will hold a solo press conference after he meets Putin.

A US official said the meeting in Geneva on Wednesday is expected to be "candid and straightforward".

But they added: "A solo press conference is the appropriate format to clearly communicate with the free press the topics that were raised in the meeting, both in terms of areas where we may agree and in areas where we have significant concerns."

The White House said the meeting would involve "a working session and a smaller session", without giving further details.

Many issues are on the table as the two presidents meet. These include US concerns about Russian Sabre-rattling on Ukrainian border, imprisonment of Alexei Navalny and Putin's support for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

Biden also blames Russia for the massive SolarWinds cyberattack, election interference, and harbouring criminals behind a spate of ransomware attacks.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-booed-on-plane-tells-critics-to-take-a-donkey-391010">Bolsonaro booed on plane, tells critics to 'take a donkey'</a>

Washington has insisted for weeks now that its aim is to make relations between the two countries more "stable and predictable".&nbsp;

The joint press conference that followed the meeting between Biden's predecessor Donald Trump and Putin in Helsinki in July 2018 is still fresh in the memory in the United States.

Trump caused an outcry in his own camp by indicating he accepted the word of Putin above the conclusions of his own intelligence agencies that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 US presidential election campaign.

(With inputs from agencies)

The White House said on Saturday that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold a joint press conference after their meet. Biden will hold a solo press conference after he meets Putin.

The White House said on Saturday that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold a joint press conference after their meet. Biden will hold a solo press conference after he meets Putin. A US official said the meeting in Geneva on Wednesday is expected to be "candid and straightforward". But they added: "A solo press conference is the appropriate format to clearly communicate with the free press the topics that were raised in the meeting, both in terms of areas where we may agree and in areas where we have significant concerns." The White House said the meeting would involve "a working session and a smaller session", without giving further details. Many issues are on the table as the two presidents meet. These include US concerns about Russian Sabre-rattling on Ukrainian border, imprisonment of Alexei Navalny and Putin's support for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Biden also blames Russia for the massive SolarWinds cyberattack, election interference, and harbouring criminals behind a spate of ransomware attacks. Also Read | Bolsonaro booed on plane, tells critics to 'take a donkey' Washington has insisted for weeks now that its aim is to make relations between the two countries more "stable and predictable". The joint press conference that followed the meeting between Biden's predecessor Donald Trump and Putin in Helsinki in July 2018 is still fresh in the memory in the United States. Trump caused an outcry in his own camp by indicating he accepted the word of Putin above the conclusions of his own intelligence agencies that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 US presidential election campaign. (With inputs from agencies)

No joint press conference after Biden-Putin meet, says White House

Russia and the United States reportedly struck a deal to extend their New START nuclear arms control treaty on Moscow's terms, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, as claimed by RIA news.

On Tuesday, Russia claimed that the pact would be preserved in the aftermath of talks between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The world’s two biggest nuclear powers will now extend their treaty.

Kremlin’s announcement was not confirmed by the White House, but Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin had spoken about the issue on telephone, and had agreed to complete the extension by February 5, for the treaty expires then.

The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was signed in 2010 to limit the number of nuclear warheads deployed by the US and Russia to 1,550 each.&nbsp;

This also includes limiting the number of land and submarine based missiles and bombers that deliver these warheads.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/how-navalny-built-an-opposition-in-russia-despite-putins-tight-grip-on-power-359519" hreflang="en">How Navalny built an opposition in Russia despite Putin's tight grip on power</a>

Under former US President Donald Trump, the countries had failed to reach an extension. Trump had reportedly attached conditions which were rejected by Russia.

According to the Kremlin, Putin and Biden “expressed satisfaction” after speaking to each other, further confirming the extension of the pact, and that it would be renewed in the next few days.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/putins-popularity-slips-as-alexei-navalnys-political-equity-rises-359520" hreflang="en">Putin's popularity slips as Alexei Navalny's political equity rises</a>

"They discussed both countries’ willingness to extend New START for five years, agreeing to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension by Feb. 5," the White House said.&nbsp;

"They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues”, it added.

Russia and the United States reportedly struck a deal to extend their New START nuclear arms control treaty on Moscow's terms, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, as claimed by RIA news.

Russia and the United States reportedly struck a deal to extend their New START nuclear arms control treaty on Moscow's terms, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday, as claimed by RIA news. On Tuesday, Russia claimed that the pact would be preserved in the aftermath of talks between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The world’s two biggest nuclear powers will now extend their treaty. Kremlin’s announcement was not confirmed by the White House, but Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin had spoken about the issue on telephone, and had agreed to complete the extension by February 5, for the treaty expires then. The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was signed in 2010 to limit the number of nuclear warheads deployed by the US and Russia to 1,550 each. This also includes limiting the number of land and submarine based missiles and bombers that deliver these warheads. Also read: How Navalny built an opposition in Russia despite Putin's tight grip on power Under former US President Donald Trump, the countries had failed to reach an extension. Trump had reportedly attached conditions which were rejected by Russia. According to the Kremlin, Putin and Biden “expressed satisfaction” after speaking to each other, further confirming the extension of the pact, and that it would be renewed in the next few days. Also read: Putin's popularity slips as Alexei Navalny's political equity rises "They discussed both countries’ willingness to extend New START for five years, agreeing to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension by Feb. 5," the White House said. "They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues”, it added.

Nuclear arms control treaty with United States agreed on our terms: Russia

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Biden says ready to talk to Putin, but only if he wants to end the war

Sorry, Biden. Putin honestly could not care less

No joint press conference after Biden-Putin meet, says White House

Nuclear arms control treaty with United States agreed on our terms: Russia