U.S. President Joe Biden made a jest about the poisoning of Wagner Group’s chief after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent rift with Russia’s top leadership. 

Biden, at a press conference on Thursday in Helsinki, said, “If I were he I’d be careful what I ate,” Bloomberg reported. 

“I would keep an eye on my menu.”

Biden’s comments followed recent events involving Prigozhin, who led an attempted revolt against Moscow and later met with Putin. However, Prigozhin later ordered his private army to halt its advance, following an agreement with Russia to drop charges against him.

Biden also declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine. “Putin’s already lost the war. Putin has a real problem,” Biden told the media.

“There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine.”

This came after Biden asserted that Putin possesses a “craven lust for land and power.” He also assured Ukraine of enhanced security its defense against Moscow amid the ongoing war. 

Ukraine has been advocating for swift membership in NATO. However, Biden acknowledged that a country cannot become a NATO member while engaged in a war. He emphasized that while Ukraine’s immediate accession would not be possible due to ongoing conflicts, the U.S. will remain committed to Ukraine becoming a member of the NATO club in the future.

Produced in association with Benzinga

Edited by Saba Fatima and Maham Javaid