GENEVA (Agencies): Russian President Vladimir Putin described his highly anticipated summit meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday as an amicable and constructive affair, but offered few signs of progress in the U.S.-Russia relationship.
“The first overall evaluation, as far as that is concerned — I don’t think there was any kind of hostility,” Putin said of his dealings with Biden. “On the contrary, our meeting was obviously a fundamental one. Many of our joint positions are divergent. But nevertheless, I think that both sides manifested a determination to try and understand each other and try and converge our positions.
Putin also deemed Biden a “very experienced politician” and repeatedly characterized their talks as “very constructive.” Of course, Putin often overstates the outcomes of meetings with other world leaders, and it will not be until Biden holds his own news conference later Wednesday evening that a more complete picture of the summit will emerge.
Putin said the two sides had agreed to open “consultations” on cyber hacking, which he said was critically important. He also claimed most cyberattacks currently taking place were being carried out from the U.S.
Putin praised Biden’s decision to agree to extend the New START nuclear treaty, and said the U.S. State Department and Russia Foreign Ministry would be opening working level discussions on “the whole question of what will happen after that” on nuclear security.
Putin said the leaders discussed Ukraine, but did not offer any details or conclusions on that subject. He later accused the U.S. of having an “unpredictable foreign policy” — a charge often leveled at Russia — by supporting a “bloody coup d’etat” in Ukraine in 2014.
Asked about Alexei Navalny, Putin refused to say the jailed Kremlin critic’s name and attacked him for knowingly violating his parole by leaving Russia to receive treatment after his poisoning. Navalny was in a coma at the time due to a nerve agent attack that U.S. intelligence says was carried out by Russian agents.
Pressed further about the Kremlin’s designation of Navalny’s political network as “extremist,” Putin accused the opposition leader of fomenting revolution and compared the potential for street violence to “terrible events” that occurred during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the U.S.
Putin said he and Biden discussed human rights and noted that Biden’s “predecessor” — Donald Trump — had a “different view” on the matter.
He went on to attack the U.S. for its own human rights record, pointing to Guantanamo Bay and gun violence.
Putin lashed out at a reporter who asked why all of his political opponents were dead, in prison or poisoned, and suggested that the U.S. government is prosecuting the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters because they marched to Congress with “political demands.”
Putin said Biden did not invite him to the White House, but called the U.S. president a “balanced and professional man.” He added: “I believe that for such meetings and visits to happen, there should be conditions that should be ripe.”
The total length of the summit seemed to fall short of the expectations of U.S. officials, who had previewed roughly four to five hours of discussions. After a roughly hour-and-a-half initial session between Biden, Putin and their respective countries’ top diplomats, their bilateral meeting was expanded to include a broader group of top officials from Washington and Moscow.
At their first appearance together on Wednesday, Biden and Putin flanked Swiss President Guy Parmelin at the front door of the historic Villa La Grange, remaining stone-faced as their host welcomed them to “the city of peace” — where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held their first Cold War-era summit in 1985.
Putin — who has in the past shown a proclivity for leaving world leaders waiting — was notably punctual, arriving at the summit site 15 minutes before Biden, according to schedule.
“I wish you both a fruitful meeting in the interest of your two countries and the world,” Parmelin said, stepping away and allowing the two leaders to greet one another. Biden and Putin locked eyes, shook hands and appeared to exchange brief pleasantries before heading into the massive estate situated on the banks of Lake Geneva.
Biden and Putin were seen again a few minutes later — seated next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively — inside what appeared to be a vast library within the villa. A globe was positioned directly between the two leaders, with large American and Russian flags erected on either side.
Their remarks were difficult to make out over the din of assembled journalists, but Putin thanked Biden “for the initiative to meet today” and said he hoped their summit “will be productive.” Biden, in turn, responded: “As I said outside, I think it’s always better to meet face-to-face.”
