President Joe Biden told CNN that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "a rational actor" who greatly misjudged Ukrainian resolve.
"I think he is a rational actor who has miscalculated significantly," Biden said of Putin during an interview CNN broadcast Tuesday night.
The Russian leader began an unprovoked attack on Ukraine in late February.
"You listen to what he says. If you listen to the speech he made after when that decision was being made, he talked about the whole idea of — he was needed to be the leader of Russia that united all of Russian speakers. I mean, it's just, I just think it's irrational," Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper.
"His objectives were not rational. I think he thought, Jake, I think he thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was the home of Mother Russia in Kyiv, and he was going to be welcomed, and I think he just totally miscalculated."
Although previously warning that the risk of nuclear "Armageddon" was at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Biden told CNN that he didn't think Putin will go that route.
"I don't think he will," Biden told Tapper. "I think it's irresponsible for him to talk about it, the idea that a world leader of one of the largest nuclear powers in the world says he may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine."
Biden declined to tell CNN how the U.S. would respond if Putin deploys a tactical nuclear device in Ukraine.
With Ukrainian forces growing increasingly bold following a series of battlefield successes, Putin has ratcheted up Cold War-era rhetoric and fanning concerns it could broaden the war and suck in more combatants.
After a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several Ukrainian cities Monday, two of Russia's biggest allies, China and India, called on Putin to "de-escalate" the eight-month long conflict.
Tapper asked Biden whether he would meet with Putin at next month's Group of 20 summit in Indonesia.
"It would depend on specifically what he wanted to talk about," said Biden, who added that he would be open to talking with the Russian president about jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner.
"But look, he's acted brutally, he's acted brutally," Biden said. "I think he's committed war crimes. And so I don't, I don't see any rationale to meet with him now."
The president said there would be "consequences" for Saudi Arabia, which partnered with Moscow to cut oil production.
"I am in the process, when the House and Senate gets back, they're going to have to — there's going to be some consequences for what they've [the Saudis] done with Russia," Biden said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.