The Presidents of the United States and Russia praised their talks in Geneva, but made little real progress at the first meeting since 2018. The conversation lasted about three hours, less than planned. Joe Biden said that Russia does not want a new Cold War. Moreover, Vladimir Putin said that Biden is an experienced statesman.
The two sides agreed to hold a dialogue on nuclear weapons control. They also said they will bring ambassadors back to their respective capital. Both envoys pulled out for consultations in March after the US accused Russia of meddling in the 2020 presidential election. Putin also hinted at a possible prisoner swap because he believes a compromise can be found.
However, there is no sign of agreement on other issues, including cyber security, Ukraine and the fate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He is currently in prison sentence for two and half year. Biden said, “there will be shattering consequences for Russia if Navalny died in prison.”
The two sides are very far apart on human rights including the right to protest. Putin has denied US concerns about Navalny. He said Navalny ignored the law and knew he will face jail if he returned to Russia after receiving medical treatment in Germany. Read More…
As a gift to Putin, Biden brought aviator glasses and a crystal statue of a buffalo. It is not clear whether Putin gave Biden a gift. Although, Russia’s head of state gave former President Donald Trump a soccer ball after a meeting in Finland.
What other issues discussed by Biden and Putin?
Putin said Russia did not want any disturbance on its territory comparable to the Capitol Riots or the Black Lives Matter movement. Regarding cyber-attacks, he also denied all allegations and stated that most cyber-attacks in Russia originate from the United States. Read More…
On the other side, Biden dismissed Putin’s comments about the affairs of black life as ridiculous. He said human rights will always be concerned thing. When asked why Russia wants to work with the United States, Biden said it was a very difficult place right now. In addition, he said, you are under pressure from China. You really want to remain an important power.
US president appeared to media in response to a reporter’s questions but he didn’t answer any questions clearly. The media correspondent says Putin has repeatedly wanted to emphasize that Russia is a nuclear power. A media reporter asked why Biden believed Putin, and will change his behavior?… US president looked annoyed and said, “If you don’t understand this, you are in the wrong business.”
