Biden says Putin will not prevail in war with Ukraine

WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin will not prevail in the war with Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said on Friday during a meeting at the White House with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"The United States is committed to standing with you to help Ukraine as it defends against Russia's onslaught of aggression. It’s clear that Putin will not prevail in this war. The people of Ukraine will prevail," Biden said.

He said the leaders would discuss work to secure a deal in the Middle East, the release of hostages, an immediate cease-fire and an increase of the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

"And thirdly, we're going to be talking about the Indo-Pacific. No region is more important for our future, and I'm so proud of our AUKUS partnership with Australia, the last three years, we've made the region more free, open and secure," he added.

UK PM Starmer said the next few weeks and months could be "crucial" for Ukraine, and it is "very important" that they support Ukraine in this "vital war of freedom."

"And so, I look forward to discussing that with you the Middle East, of course, again, vital over the coming weeks and months and elsewhere in the world. I think that historically, we've shown the strength of our relationship, that we are strategically aligned.

"We have common cause on these global issues, and therefore it's very important for us to have this opportunity to talk them through, not just as a matter of fact but also the wider strategy that underpins them," he added.

Responding to a question, Biden said: "I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin."

— Additional input from Anadolu Agency.