Biden-Putin Summit: U.S, Russian Officials Don't Expect Breakthrough Agreement

Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin continued a day of meetings in the Swiss city of Geneva that began with warm words, as they sought to dial back tensions between the two former Cold War adversaries that have reached the highest level in years.

The talks with Putin, the first of Biden’s presidency, may last for more than four hours including meetings with a broader group of officials. Both Russian and U.S. officials kept expectations low for the outcome, with the leaders looking to agree on a new round of arms-control negotiations and restoring diplomatic links severed in recent years.

“I think it’s always better to meet face to face, try to determine where we have mutual interest, cooperate, and where we don’t, establish a predictable and rational” path forward, Biden told Putin. “Two great powers,” the U.S. president added.

Putin thanked Biden for taking the initiative to propose the meeting. “I know you’ve had a long trip, a lot of work. Nonetheless, a lot of questions have accumulated in Russian-American relations that require discussion at the highest level and I hope our meeting will be productive,” he said.

Biden and Putin began speaking before U.S. reporters had entered the bookshelf-lined room where they began their meeting at the Villa La Grange in Geneva, and both men smiled as journalists scuffled with one another and with Putin’s security as they tried to cover the remarks. The scrum drowned out some of the leaders’ comments.

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