“Relations between the United States and Russia must be stable and predictable“United States President Joe Biden said Wednesday after his long-awaited meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
“I told Putin that my agenda is not against Russia, it is for the Americans,” the US leader added at a press conference.
Biden denounced Wednesday “the ridiculous comparisons” from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on human rights, at the end of his first summit in Geneva.
Biden reacted to previous statements at a Putin press conference, in which the Russian president recriminated the events that occurred during the assault by supporters of then-President Donald Trump on the Capitol. “They are ridiculous comparisons. It’s one thing for criminals to break a police cordon (…) another is for the people to parade to the Capitol and denounce that they are not allowed to speak freely, “Biden said at a press conference.
According to Biden, the meeting with the Russian leader – the first since he arrived at the White House – was “good and positive“.
Shortly before, in another conference with journalists, Putin had stressed that the dialogue was “constructive”, in a climate of bilateral tensions and a number of disputed issues.
Biden revealed on Wednesday that he and Putin agreed resort to diplomacy to resolve their differences over Ukraine, based on the Minsk agreement.
I also “communicated to him the unwavering commitment of the United States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he added.
The historic meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin took place in a tense environment. But both tried to show their willingness to bring positions closer together.
Gestures in the midst of tension
Despite the tensions, the summit held at the elegant Villa La Grange began with a handshake between both leaders.
Biden took the initiative and held out his hand to Putin. “It is always better to see each other face to face, “said the American at the beginning of the first with the Russian leader since he arrived at the White House.
The meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin focused the eyes of the world. Photo: EFE
Since coming to power, the 46th president of the United States has adopted a firm tone regarding Putin, to make clear the differences with his untimely predecessor, Donald Trump.
Biden also promised that he would highlight to his counterpart what “red lines” he should not cross.
“I am not seeking a conflict with Russia, but we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities,” the US president said before the summit.
Although the White House insisted that no spectacular breakthrough should be expected, the 78-year-old president knows that in Geneva he has the opportunity to polish his image as an excellent negotiator.
In recent days, observers recalled the famous summit in Geneva between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, which marked the beginning of the thaw of the Cold War.
“I am always ready,” Biden declared when he arrived in Geneva and was questioned about his state of mind before this meeting that attracted the world’s attention.
But the Russian president also has long experience with summits. Since coming to power in late 1999, he has already rubbed shoulders with four US presidents. Biden is the fifth.
Gestures of rapprochement between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin ,. this Wednesday in Geneva. AP Photo
Many experts agree that Putin has already achieved what he most wanted: the celebration of the summit as a sign of the importance of Russia on the world stage.
The only point of agreement between the White House and the Kremlin was that relations between the two countries are at their lowest point in decades.
The subjects of controversy are numerous and the discussions promised to be acrimonious and difficult, in particular on Ukraine and Belarus.
Another sensitive topic was that of computer attacks. As Putin said at the end of the meeting, both agreed “to open a dialogue on cybersecurity.”
Beyond the attempted interference in the 2016 elections, recent massive cyberattacks against companies such as SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline and JBS and attributed to Moscow or Russian-based hacking groups, have upset Washington.
Source: AFP and EFE
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source https://pledgetimes.com/joe-biden-i-told-putin-that-my-agenda-is-not-against-russia/
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