Biden: "NATO Does Not Want War with Russia... No Intention to Oust Putin"

"US Will Not Directly Intervene in War"
However, Firmly Supports Ukraine... "Will Strengthen Financial and Military Aid"

President Joe Biden of the United States. Photo by AP, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he does not want a war between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia, nor does he intend to oust Putin from Moscow.

On the 31st (local time), President Biden wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times (NYT), "We have no intention of involving ourselves in the war by deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine or attacking Russian forces."

He added, "We will neither encourage Ukraine to cross borders to attack Russia nor support Ukraine in making that possible," and "We have no desire to prolong the war to inflict pain on Russia."

However, this did not mean stopping support for Ukraine and its allies.

President Biden explained, "We continue to cooperate with our allies on sanctions against Russia and will provide billions of dollars in additional aid to Ukraine as approved by Congress," adding, "We will also strengthen troop support for NATO's eastern member states bordering Russia."

He also stated that the U.S. aims to help Ukraine achieve success on the battlefield and negotiate a ceasefire with Russia from a more advantageous position.

He emphasized, "The goal of the United States is simple: to see a democratic, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine equipped with the means to defend against aggression."

He further noted that the war can only be definitively ended through diplomatic solutions, and that the U.S. has provided weapons and other support so that Ukraine can be in a favorable position during negotiations after the fighting ends.

President Biden also stressed, "We adhere to the principle of not discussing Ukraine's issues without Ukraine," and emphasized, "Forcing the Ukrainian government to cede territory to Russia violates this principle and will not happen."

Regarding the difficulties in ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, he explained, "It is not because Ukraine has turned away from diplomacy, but because Russia continues to wage war that there has been no progress in negotiations," and added, "We will continue to help Ukraine build strength and end the war through negotiations."

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia have been continuously adjusting schedules for ceasefire talks, but since March, after evidence surfaced of genocide (massacre of civilians) by Russian forces in Kyiv and Bucha, negotiations have been at a standstill.