Scoop: Sullivan to host E3 counterparts for meeting amid Russia instability

• Asked by reporters if Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the crash, President Biden said Wednesday: "There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind. But I don't know enough to know the answer."

Behind the scenes: A senior European diplomat said Sullivan organized the weekend retreat with his French, German and British counterparts as part of an effort to hold a strategic thinking session about issues related to the war in Ukraine, China and Africa in an informal setting.

• Three of the European diplomats said the retreat will take place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment about the retreat.

State of play: Sullivan on Thursday hosted the national security advisers of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. at the White House.

• They discussed Ukraine, Russia and Niger, as well as issues related to the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, according to a readout of the meeting.
• The national security advisers and senior G20 representatives of the five countries, as well as the EU also met to discuss issues related to next month's G20 summit in India.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Portsmouth is in New Hampshire, not Massachusetts.