Biden decries Putin's actions in Ukraine as 'sick,' but says he'd speak with the Russian leader under certain conditions

• Biden on Thursday said he'd be willing to speak to Putin directly under certain conditions.

• Biden said he'd only talk to Putin if he expresses a desire to end the war in Ukraine.

• The president also said he wouldn't talk to Putin without consulting NATO allies.

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he'd be willing to speak to Vladimir Putin directly if the Russian leader expresses a desire to end the war in Ukraine, and only after consulting with NATO allies.

"I have no immediate plans to contact Mr. Putin," Biden said during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House, adding that he's "prepared to speak with Mr. Putin" if the Russian leader indicates "he's looking for a way to end the war." Macron has faced criticism in Kyiv and beyond for continuing to speak with Putin amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has induced historic tensions between the West and the Kremlin.

Biden said the Russian leader hasn't shown any signs he wants to end the fighting, but if that becomes the case the president said he'd be "happy to sit down with Putin" for talks in consultation with NATO allies.

The president also excoriated his Russian counterpart over the Russian military's frequent strikes on civilian areas in Ukraine, and underscored how poorly the war has gone for Moscow since Putin ordered the invasion in late February. Russia has been widely accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

"It's sick what he's doing," Biden said of Putin, emphasizing that the only way for the war to end is for the Russian leader to recall his country's forces.

"The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension," Biden said. "He's miscalculated every single thing."

Russia is estimated to have suffered as many as 100,000 casualties since the onset of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in late February, a shocking toll of dead and wounded in less than a year of fighting.

The war has seen much of the world turn against Russia, with the US leading its allies in slapping unprecedented sanctions on Moscow in response to the invasion. Russia's economy entered a recession in November.

Despite the dire situation, Putin has shown no signs of giving up on his goal of subjugating Ukraine — even as his forces lose ground in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensives.

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