American President Joe Biden came to Geneva on Tuesday ahead of his long and controversial talks with Vladimir Putin, the high point designed to see the western solidarity ahead of the critical meeting.
Biden has used his entire past week consulting fellow leaders, national security help, and political advisors. He has read through all the preparation material and wondered what he would do when facing the Russian President when they meet in an 18th-century Swiss lakeside villa on Wednesday.
In the meetings of G7 and NATO, Biden discussed the upcoming summit with two dozen leaders, which included the chancellor of Germany, leaders of the tiny Baltic States, and right-wing President of Poland. He was even quizzed on meeting with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
“He’s bright, he’s tough, and I’ve found that he is, as they say when I used to play ball, a worthy adversary,” Biden told reporters of Putin on Monday.
He didn’t say what terms he wants to talk to Putin, but these talks will begin midday. Instead, he has outlined broad categories on which he intends to have discussions with the Russian President. A face-to-face is essential to strengthening the relations between US-RUSSIA.
“I’m going to make clear to President Putin that there are areas where we can cooperate if he chooses. And if he chooses not to cooperate and acts in a way that he has in the past relative to cybersecurity and some other activities, then we will respond,” he said.
The first meeting of the summit will contain four participants, Joe Biden, Putin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Each side will be provided with a translator, and there will be a photo session with the media.
Biden is set to meet Putin in two sessions, one with a smaller group and another one with a larger contingent of aides states the White House official.
