During his visit to Finland on Thursday, US President Joe Biden emphasized that Ukraine will one day join NATO, but this is impossible as long as the war continues.
“It’s not about whether they should or shouldn’t join. It’s about when they can join and they will join NATO,” Biden emphasized at a press conference in Helsinki.
The US president expressed hope that Ukraine’s counterattack against the Russian army would lead to negotiations and an end to the war. “I hope and expect that Ukraine will make significant progress in its offensive and that this will lead to a negotiated agreement at some point,” Biden said.
The owner of the White House also said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian mercenary gang “Vagner”, should be careful of poisoning. “God only knows what he might do. We’re not even sure where he is or what his relationship is. If I were him, I’d watch what I eat. I’d watch my diet,” Biden said.
The US president also said that he is serious about the idea of obtaining the release of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist of the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal” detained in Russia, through a prisoner exchange.
Gershkovic, a 31-year-old US citizen, was detained on March 29 in Yekaterinburg and officially charged with espionage in early April.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims that the journalist collected information on a Russian military industry company at the behest of the United States. The journalist, his employer and the US government have denied these accusations. The US government considers his detention illegal and has demanded his immediate release.
Geršković faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage.
The Kremlin hinted earlier this month that it could agree to a prisoner swap that could include Gershkovich, but stressed that such talks must be conducted in secret.
Biden expressed interest in a prisoner exchange at a press conference in Helsinki, adding that “the process has begun.”
2023-07-13 17:15:33
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