The proposed meeting would happen so long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine, according to a White House statement

Washington CNN —  

President Joe Biden has agreed “in principle” to French-brokered summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine, the White House said late Sunday.

The meeting, according to press secretary Jen Psaki, would occur after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet on February 24.

Still, in a statement, Psaki appeared to downplay the prospects of a meeting actually materializing given what US officials have said the high likelihood is Putin could launch an invasion soon.

“We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon,” Psaki said in a statement on Sunday night.

The proposed summit, according to an Élysée Palace statement, was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron during back-to-back phone calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday.

The French presidency’s statement said the summit would be followed by a subsequent gathering of “relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe.” Macron “will work with all stakeholders to prepare the content of these discussions.”

It did not specify who those stakeholders were.

US officials have consistently said Biden is willing to engage with Putin, even as he prepares withering economic sanctions should another Russian invasion of Ukraine transpire.

“President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war,” Blinken said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

This story is breaking and will be updated.