Ukraine 'will join NATO', Putin has 'lost the war': Biden in Helsinki

US President Joe Biden on Thursday (July 13) said that it was not a matter of if but when Ukraine will be inducted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), adding unequivocally that Ukraine 'will join NATO'.

But he maintained that Kyiv could not join the alliance while it was at war with Russia.

Biden was speaking at a press conference in Helsinki just a day after the NATO summit where the alliance did not give a timeline for Ukraine's inclusion.

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Watch | NATO ahead of summit with Nordic leaders

"It's not about whether or not they should or shouldn't join. It's about when they can join, and they will join NATO," he said.

Biden assured that the US will stay committed to NATO. "I absolutely guarantee it," he said when asked about US commitment to NATO given political instability in the US. Biden's predecessor, former president Donald Trump had threatened to take the US out of NATO.

"No one can guarantee the future, but this is the best bet anyone could make," Biden said.

Biden, a Democrat, is running again for president in 2024 and is likely to face Donald Trump as an opponent.

Putin has 'lost the war'

"Putin's already lost the war," Biden told the news conference after talks with Nordic leaders. "There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine."

The US president hinted that Ukrainian counterattack against the Russian forces may bring Russia to the negotiation table.

On the issue of nuclear weapons, Biden said there was no 'real prospect' of Putin using them.

Also Read | Russia detained top generals just hours after Wagner revolt: Report

Biden was in Helsinki to participate in a summit with leaders of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. Biden went to Helsinki directly from the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

At the summit, Biden said that Russian invasion of Ukraine has only made NATO stronger.

"A stronger NATO makes the entire world stronger," Biden said.

Finland recently joined NATO after changing its stance of military non-alignment. Finland's inclusion has roughly doubled the length of border NATO shares with Russia.

During the press conference, Biden welcomed the prospects of Sweden joining NATO.

Sweden had applied to join NATO along with Finland. However, Sweden's bid was held up by Turkey, which maintained Sweden was doing too little against people Ankara sees as terrorists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped objections to its application this week.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson thanked Biden for his support in the country's push to join NATO.

Prigozhin should be 'careful'

In an apparent hint that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin may be assassinated after his short-lived mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said that he needs to be 'careful' about his food.

"God only knows what he's likely to do. We're not even sure where he is and what relationship he has. If I were he, I'd be careful what I ate. I'd keep my eye on my menu," Biden said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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