Top US official says Joe Biden has 'no interest' in meeting Putin at upcoming G20 summit

As the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv continues unabated in Eastern Europe, the United States stated that President Joe Biden has "no interest" in meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit scheduled to be held in November in Indonesia. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference in Kyiv, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland stated that President Biden does not seem to be interested in meeting with the Russian leader and holding talks with him. 

"I do not see any interest in Putin from our President regarding talks between them," Nuland stated, as per The Kyiv Independent. She further stated that the US would keep making efforts to restrict Russia's attempts to evade sanctions. According to Nuland, limiting access to advanced technologies is important to punish Russia for its "unjustified" invasion of Ukraine. She further claimed that sanctions imposed on Russia have already begun impacting its economy and the country is finding it difficult to maintain its weapons production. 

US vows to help Ukraine in achieving its goals amid war

Notably, the US along with its allies have imposed a slew of sanctions on Russia since it launched a full-fledged war in Ukraine on February 24. Speaking at the same conference in Kyiv, US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan stated that Ukraine should make its own independent decisions regarding when and how to liberate Russian-occupied areas in the Crimea, as well as in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. "It is the aim of the US and its allies to help Ukraine achieve its goals, either through negotiations or on the battlefield," Sullivan noted, as per The Kyiv Independent. 

US continues to support Ukraine since onset of war

It is pertinent to mention here that the US along with its allies have continuously supplied military as well as humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the onset of the war. According to reports, the US is also planning to provide fighter jets to Ukraine to counter Russia. In late August, the Pentagon stated that the issue of providing fighter jets to the war-torn nation is on the table but no final decision has been taken so far. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the US-led western sanctions against his nation are "short-sighted and dangerous" for the entire globe.

Image: AP