US President Joe Biden said he would be willing to speak to Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine invasion if the Russian leader truly wants to end the war, writes France24.

Biden was speaking during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has said he will speak again to Putin after his trip to Washington and has warned against cutting off the Russian leader.

At a joint news conference with Macron, Biden said he had no immediate plans to contact Putin but left open the possibility.

“I’m prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war. He hasn’t done that yet. If that’s the case, in consultation with my French and my NATO friends, I’ll be happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind. He hasn"t done that yet”, - said Biden.

Closing ranks, Biden and Macron both vowed long-term support to Ukraine as it fights off Russian invaders.

“There’s one way for this war to end - the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one. But it appears he’s not. Bombing nurseries, hospitals, children’s homes. It’s sick what he’s doing. The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension. He’s miscalculated every single thing he initially calculated”, - added US President.