President Biden on Tuesday known as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a “rational actor” however stated he had miscalculated badly concerning the response to his invasion of Ukraine, in an interview that was broadcast on CNN Tuesday night time.
Mr. Putin “thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was the house of Mom Russia in Kyiv, and that the place he was going to be welcomed, and I feel he simply completely miscalculated,” Mr. Biden stated within the interview with the host Jake Tapper.
However Mr. Biden additionally stated that Mr. Putin’s targets in sending troops into Ukraine weren’t rational, even when he’s a rational particular person general.
“In case you hearken to the speech he made after when that call was being made, he talked about the entire thought of — he was wanted to be the chief of Russia that united all of Russian audio system,” Mr. Biden stated. “I imply, it’s simply, I simply suppose it’s irrational,” Mr. Biden stated.
Mr. Biden additionally stated within the interview that his recent comments throughout a fund-raiser warning about the specter of nuclear “Armageddon” within the Ukraine battle have been aimed toward Mr. Putin.
“I’m speaking to Putin,” the president stated within the interview. “He, in truth, can’t proceed with impunity to speak about the usage of a tactical nuclear weapon, as if that’s a rational factor to do.”
“And it may finish in Armageddon,” he stated, although he added that he didn’t suppose it’s going to come to move.
Mr. Biden additionally instructed Mr. Tapper that he had “no intention” of assembly with Mr. Putin throughout the upcoming assembly of Group of 20 leaders subsequent month, however that he wouldn’t reject a dialogue about Brittney Griner, the W.N.B.A. star who has been held in Russia since February and was sentenced to 9 years in jail for drug possession.
“For instance, if he got here to me on the G20 and stated, ‘I need to speak concerning the launch of Griner,’ I’d meet with him,” Mr. Biden stated. “I imply, it will rely.”
He rapidly added: “I’m not about to, neither is anybody else ready to, negotiate with Russia about them staying in Ukraine, preserving any a part of Ukraine, et cetera. So it will rely upon particularly what he wished to speak about.”
In keeping with the community, Mr. Biden’s interview with Mr. Tapper got here simply hours after the president met with the leaders of the Group of 7 nations, who collectively reaffirmed their commitments to assist Ukraine defend itself.