President Biden insisted that Russia had “already lost the war” in Ukraine and there was no “real prospect” of President Putin using nuclear weapons in the conflict, partly because of the influence of China.
Biden suggested it was only a matter of time before Putin came to the negotiating table — an unspoken admission that Ukraine would not be able to liberate all its territory before talks on a settlement.
The US president was speaking in Finland alongside the leader of Nato’s newest member at the end of a European visit during which the western alliance overcame Turkish resistance to agree to admit Sweden, cementing a wider geopolitical defeat for Russia.
Joe Biden greets Sauli Niinisto, president of Nato’s newest member, Finland
Finland’s decision to join Nato broke with seven decades of military non-alignment and
