President Joe Biden is willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “in principle,” as long as Russia does not invade Ukraine, the White House said on Sunday night, after a day of diplomacy brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The tentative meeting would be held after a meeting between the countries’ two foreign ministers, which is set for later this week, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Still, the Biden administration did not appear to waiver in its stance that a Russian invasion is imminent.
“We are always ready for diplomacy,” Psaki said in a statement. “We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.”
Macron and Putin spoke by phone earlier on Sunday and agreed to work toward setting a meeting within hours to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
The call came as heightened tensions added to ongoing violence between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country, where shelling over the past few days left two Ukrainian soldiers dead and five injured, according to The New York Times.
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