On Wednesday, US and Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden met in Geneva for the first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office at the beginning of the year.
The talks, in a narrow and then extended format, lasted about three and a half hours with a break. The only document agreed to at the end of the summit was a terse joint statement promising to launch a "substantive and energetic" dialogue on strategic stability in the near future.
Unlike the 2018 meeting between Putin and Donald Trump in Helsinki (which, given the working breakfast, went a bit longer), the leaders gave separate press conferences. Putin spoke first, answering questions from Russian and foreign reporters for about an hour. Biden - already outside - spoke for about half an hour, with only Western reporters allowed to ask him about the outcome of the talks. Then the US president spoke to the media again at the boarding ramp of his plane.
About the meeting
Both leaders gave high marks to their conversation. According to Putin, "sparks of trust" flashed across the table, and this was the main result of the meeting.
Biden described the tone of the summit as "good, positive". He agreed with the Russian leader that "there was no pressure": "There were no threats, there were just statements: if you do this, I will do that.
The head of the US administration noted, even before he proceeded to questions, that he had "heard much of what was said at President Putin's press conference." "As he [Putin] said, it's all about practical, straightforward, pragmatic decisions that we need to make or not make. We'll figure that out," he added.
On the relationship between the two countries
According to Putin, it is the US that has initiated the deterioration of relations between the two powers, but both sides generally understand each other's positions "when it comes to red lines." He also said that an agreement was reached at the meeting on the return of ambassadors to the capitals of the two countries.
Biden reiterated his support for "stable and predictable" relations between Moscow and Washington, for improvement of which "there are genuine prospects" as a result of the summit. He stressed that he and the Russian president "have a unique responsibility" for how relations "between two strong and proud countries" are developing.
On strategic stability
The two sides agreed to begin consultations on strategic stability.
"The United States and the Russian Federation have a special responsibility for strategic stability in the world. <...> We are aware of this responsibility," Putin said.
"We discussed in detail the steps our countries should take in the area of arms control and reducing the risk of conflict. I am pleased to report that we have agreed to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability," Biden said.
On cybersecurity
Russia and the US will hold consultations on cybersecurity. "In my opinion, this is extremely important," Putin stressed.
According to Biden, he suggested shielding "certain critical infrastructure," including energy infrastructure, from cyberattacks. No "military response" to such attacks was discussed, he added.
The US President also said that experts from the two countries will analyze specific cases.
On human rights
Putin said that Biden brought up human rights and "people who think they represent these issues in Russia".
The US President himself, he said, said that "the American people will never trust a president if he does not protect the democratic values and universal freedoms of all people," so human rights "will always be 'on the table [of negotiations]".
On prisoner exchanges
The leaders discussed the topic of prisoner exchanges. "Certain compromises can be found there," Putin reported.
According to him, Biden raised the issue of Americans who are imprisoned in Russia. The American leader himself specified
that he spoke, in particular, about Paul Whelan (convicted of espionage) and Trevor Reed (convicted of attacking police officers). He also spoke about the case of Baring Vostok founder Michael Calvey (accused of stealing 2.5 billion rubles from Vostochny Bank). According to Biden, by "letting him go," Russia will attract more American investment.
On economy and business
Putin reminded that the US has lost as much from the anti-Russian sanctions as Russia, while only "partially fulfilling its task of restraining the development" of the RF. According to him, because of the restrictions, "the Americans left [the Russian market] with a loss and put this business in the hands of their competitors from other countries".
According to Biden, he has "no problem doing business with Russia." "It is in our interest that the Russian people succeed economically."
About Ukraine
Putin and Biden agreed to facilitate the implementation of the Minsk agreements. According to the Russian leader, this is Moscow's only commitment to Ukraine.
The US leader, in his own words, at the meeting "reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." "We agreed to pursue diplomacy to implement the Minsk agreements," he said.
About Navalny
Biden said he had "made it clear" that if Alexei Navalny dies in custody, "the consequences will be catastrophic for Russia."
Putin, referring to Navalny, stressed that he deliberately broke the law, and knew he would be jailed if he returned to Russia.
On the Arctic
The leaders discussed how to ensure that "the Arctic remains a region of cooperation, not conflict," Biden said.
Putin expressed his deep conviction that Russia and the United States can and should cooperate in the region, and that Washington's concerns about the militarization of the Arctic were unfounded: "We don't do anything there that the Soviet Union didn't do."
On what will happen after the summit
According to Putin, it's hard to say at this point whether supporters or opponents of developing relations with Russia will prevail in the United States. But if, as after the Helsinki summit, Washington were to impose new sanctions against Moscow, it would mean "another missed opportunity," he warned.
Biden believes that within 6 to 12 months it will become clear whether a "genuine dialogue" on strategic stability is working out, whether agreements have been reached on cybersecurity and prisoner exchanges. Whether the summit has yielded any results in principle will be possible to tell in 3-6 months.
Asked about guarantees that Russia will "change its behavior," the American leader rebuked the media, which never asks "positive questions." "We have to be realistic, but look to the future optimistically," he added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS