Biden states that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in "difficult situation"

(MENAFN) US President Joe Biden stated on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a "difficult situation" following the imposition of new, coordinated sanctions by Washington and London on Russia’s energy sector in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Biden emphasized that Putin now has no "breathing space" to continue his harmful actions in Ukraine. Biden also discussed his recent conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reaffirming the importance of continued US support for Ukraine. The White House issued a statement asserting that Putin's war against Ukraine has been a failure for Russia, with Ukraine's resilience and US assistance preventing Russia from achieving its strategic objectives.

On the same day, the United States and the UK announced broad sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, aiming to disrupt Gazprom, Russia’s largest energy company, and cut off significant funding to the Kremlin’s war efforts. Zelensky praised the sanctions, calling them a “heavy blow” to Moscow’s war machine by disrupting its supply chains. In a separate development, the Kremlin revealed that Putin was open to talks with former US President Donald Trump, who recently stated he was preparing to meet with Putin to "end" the war in Ukraine. Trump, who will take office on January 20, pledged during his campaign to end the conflict swiftly, calling for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.

Putin expressed his readiness for negotiations on the condition that the "facts on the ground" be recognized, referring to Russia’s territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, where it controls 20% of the country’s territory. He also insisted that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions.

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