Biden Concludes European Tour with Declaration that Putin Has Lost War in Ukraine, Commits to Pursuing Prisoner Exchange for Wall Street Journal Reporter

Helsinki, Finland— President Joe Biden concluded his five-day European tour on Thursday with a visit to Finland’s Presidential Palace, where he declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine.

The President also expressed his commitment to pursuing a prisoner exchange for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days. The Kremlin had previously suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange, but emphasized that such talks must be held out of the public eye.

“I’m serious on a prisoner exchange,” said Biden, “and I’m serious about doing all we can to free Americans being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter, and that process is underway.”

At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the alliance reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine, but denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request to join the alliance.

When asked about the timeline of the war, Biden said there was “no possibility of [Putin] winning the war in Ukraine.” He added that he was “serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange” for Gershkovich and other Americans being held illegally in Russia.

The President’s visit to Finland marked the end of his five-day European tour, which included stops in the UK, Lithuania, and Finland. During his visit, Biden celebrated Finland’s new membership and Sweden’s likely ascension into NATO.