Putin-Biden summit 'constructive'
President Vladimir V. Putin described the summit with his US counterpart as constructive, in which both sides showed goodwill and a desire for mutual understanding.
The first face-to-face summit between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir V. Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, after nearly four hours of discussions, has not announced any breakthrough to improve relations that both sides admit are at their lowest point since the Cold War, but it has created a foundation for the two sides to discuss in more depth in the coming time.
The face-to-face meeting between the US and Russian leaders lasted nearly 4 hours, instead of the 5 hours previously predicted by officials and experts. The meeting was also conducted in a narrow and wide format. The first meeting was attended by only 2 presidents, 2 foreign ministers, 2 interpreters and lasted longer than originally planned.
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After a 45-minute break, the two leaders entered an expanded discussion session with the participation of top advisors. The two sides frankly discussed differences in bilateral relations, many international and regional issues of mutual concern, and sought opportunities for cooperation on issues of mutual interest. The two leaders also adopted the US-Russia Joint Statement on Strategic Stability to Prevent Nuclear War.
“President Putin and I share a responsibility to manage the relationship between these two powerful and proud nations,” President Biden said at a press conference after the summit. “That relationship must be stable and predictable. We will be able to cooperate where we have common interests. On issues where we have differences, I want President Putin to understand why I say what I say, do what I do, and how we will respond to the kinds of actions that harm American interests.”
Speaking at a separate press conference earlier, President Vladimir V. Putin described the summit with his US counterpart as constructive, in which both sides showed goodwill and a desire to understand each other. The Kremlin leader assessed the discussion as substantive, specific and taking place in an atmosphere aimed at achieving results.
President Vladimir V. Putin announced that the two countries have agreed to readmit each other's ambassadors to their respective posts, and when that will happen is just a technical matter. Mr. Putin said that the two countries will start consultations on cybersecurity, saying that both sides must fulfill certain obligations in this area.
President Vladimir V. Putin also said that strategic nuclear stability is a shared responsibility of both Russia and the United States. The two countries will study how to adjust the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (NEW START), which was extended on February 5. President Putin also confirmed that he had discussed issues related to Ukraine with his US counterpart, but affirmed that there was nothing to discuss about the possibility of the neighboring country joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). President Putin also said that he had not received an invitation from President Joe Biden to visit the White House in the near future.
According to observers, although both leaders cited positive results from their first face-to-face meeting in their separate press conferences, issues related to cyber attacks and human rights still show deep divisions between the two countries./.