[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine, but also signaled a willingness to engage in dialogue with allies if there is a will to end the war.
On the afternoon of the 1st (local time) in Washington DC, President Biden attended a press conference after a summit with President Macron and stated, "It is incomprehensible to think that President Putin will win in Ukraine." He added, "Imagine them trying to occupy that country for the next 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years. He (Putin) miscalculated everything he initially calculated," and strongly criticized, saying "What he is doing is sick."
He also emphasized that there are no immediate plans for talks with President Putin. However, he did not completely close the door to dialogue. President Biden said, "If he is genuinely interested in finding a way to end the war," they can talk, adding, "If so, I will sit at the table with France, NATO friends to see what President Putin wants." However, President Biden also noted that Putin is not doing so.
President Macron said in English that support for Ukraine is about "our values." He assessed, "If we give up respect for these principles, there will be no stability in this world." He reaffirmed that military support for Ukraine will also be strengthened. He also emphasized, "We will not force Ukrainians to accept an unacceptable compromise." President Biden also repeatedly said, "We must support the people of Ukraine."
In a joint statement released immediately after the summit, the two leaders strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an illegal war of aggression and a war crime.
The statement pointed out, "Deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime," and "Russia's illegal annexation attempts of Ukraine's sovereign territory are clear violations of international law."
They also reaffirmed policies for political, security, humanitarian, and economic aid to Ukraine. Relatedly, an international conference will be held in Paris on December 13. They also agreed to continue cooperating with the international community to prevent food and energy disruptions caused by the war.
Meanwhile, the two leaders announced at the summit that they will strengthen broad cooperation ranging from responding to the Ukraine war to the economy, climate change, space, and energy policies.
The two leaders will also strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is expanding its influence. They said, "We will coordinate concerns in response to China's challenges to the international order, including human rights, and cooperate with China on important global issues such as climate change," emphasizing, "It is important to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." They also condemned North Korea's ballistic missile provocations. The two leaders said, "We strongly condemn North Korea's unprecedented number of illegal ballistic missile tests this year," adding, "This violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and threatens peace and stability in the region."
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