United States (US) President Joe Biden met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Geneva on Wednesday at a time when Putin says bilateral relations have “deteriorated to [their] lowest point in recent years.”
On Monday, ahead of their meeting, Biden delivered a press conference following the NATO Summit in which he said of Putin: He’s bright, he’s tough, and I’ve that he is […] a worthy adversary.” The National Security Council’s Senior Director for Russia, Eric Green, said that the leaders would discuss arms control, election interference, cyberattacks, climate change, restrictions on US diplomatic presence in Russia, and Ukrainian sovereignty. Green said that they would also discuss “areas of mutual interest” such as Iran, North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Arctic.
Biden also spoke about Russia with other heads of state at the recently-held G7 Summit. In fact, a joint communiqué released by the G7 countries calls on Russia to “stop its destabilising behaviour and malign activities, including its interference in other countries’ democratic systems.” It also demanded that Russia “fulfil its international human rights obligations and commitments,” “end its systematic crackdown on independent civil society and media,” and bring a halt to its cyberattacks. Furthermore, the document called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the eastern border of Ukraine and on the Crimean Peninsula, describing it as a “party to the conflict” and not a mediator.
The US President also met with NATO members earlier this week said that he held discussions with them about their individual and collective concerns about Russia and noted that he hoped to cover these points in his meeting with Putin.
Biden also agreed with Putin about the current state of US-Russia ties, saying that they are at a “low point,” adding that they could only improve if Putin “acts consistently with international norms, which in many cases he has not.” He noted, however, that the US is “not looking for conflict” and that it wants a “stable, predictable relationship.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, on the other hand, said, “We have a big backlog of issues to address so President Putin arrives in a constructive spirit of openness to raise questions and try to find solutions.”
Former Russian diplomat Vladimir Frolov told Reuters that Putin would use the meeting to push for a “symbolic recognition of Russia’s geopolitical parity with the US” and said in return, Moscow would be “willing to cut back on some of the loony stuff,” explaining that he meant “no poisonings, no physical violence, no arrests or kidnappings of US and Russian nationals, no interference in domestic politics.”
Washington, though, appears to be wary of any mind games by Putin and denied Russia’s request for a joint press conference following the meeting of the two leaders, with Biden reasoning, “This is not a contest about who can do better in front of a press conference or try to embarrass each other.”
At the meeting, Biden was joined by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, National Security Council Russia adviser Eric Green, and former US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan.
On the other side of the table, Putin was flanked by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov.
At the beginning of their meeting, Biden said that both Russia and the US are “great powers.” Putin, meanwhile, said, “Russia and US relations have a lot of issues accumulated that require the highest-level meeting and I hope that our meeting will be productive.”
Following their meeting, Biden and Putin held separate press conferences, with the Russian leader noting that the meeting had been “constructive.” He said that the two countries hold a “unique” and shared “responsibility” for ‘strategic stability’ in the world. Therefore, he once again welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to extend the New START Treaty until 2024.
He then said that he expects the American and Russian ambassadors to return to their respective diplomatic posts. He was noncommittal on when this would happen, but said that both sides would initiate dialogue on that matter as soon as possible.
On the possibility of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Putin said, “I don’t’ think there is anything to discuss there.” Putin has previously said, however, that “at least 50 per cent of Ukrainian residents don’t want entry into NATO,” and indicated Moscow’s opposition to the possibility. Russia worries that Ukraine’s entry into NATO would give the Organization “access to missiles that need just seven minutes to reach Moscow and other points of interest in Russia.”
When asked about Russian operations against and within Ukraine, Putin said that Russia remains committed to implementing the Minsk Protocol that was agreed to in 2015. He also dismissed American concerns regarding the conflict and respect for international norms, saying that Russia does not conduct military exercises near the border of US but that the US frequently conducts joint military exercises near the Russian border.
Furthermore, when it was put to him that Biden had previously called him a “killer,” Putin pointed to the various human rights abuses committed by US troops and how during the Obama administration Biden was part of a government that often authorised indiscriminate drone strikes that killed hundreds of civilians. He also pointed to the Guantanamo Bay prison, which remains open despite the various abuses committed at the facility, to demonstrate the US’ hypocrisy on human rights.
Putin also talked about the US’ accusations that Russia is militarising the Arctic, describing Washington’s concerns as “baseless” by saying that Russia is simply trying to “protect people at sea” and the environment. In fact, he said that as co-members of the Arctic Council, the US and Russia should work together in this arena.
On the topic of cybersecurity, the Russian leader acknowledged that the US has suffered the “greatest number of cyberattacks,” but refuted Washington’s allegations of Russian state involvement. In fact, he remarked that the majority of cyberattacks are carried out from within the US.
When asked about the treatment of opposition political and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, Putin said that Navalny had broken the law. Putin also defended the banning of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, describing it as an extremist organisation that sought to sow discord and generate violence. Furthermore, he deflected criticism about the crackdown on political activists, dissidents, and opposition leaders by pointing to the Black Lives Matter protest and the Capitol riots, saying, “We sympathise with what is happening in the US, but we do not wish that to happen in Russia.”
Later, in his own separate press conference, US President Biden reiterated Washington’s continued to desire to “cooperate [with Moscow] where it’s in our mutual interest” but said that “human rights would always be on the table” with issues like Navalny, the imprisonment of two American citizens, and the ability of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty to operate freely.
He said that the countries must work together to ensure strategic stability’ with regards to arms control measures, and reduce the possibility of unintended conflict.
Biden also reaffirmed the US’ position that “certain critical infrastructure should be off-limits” to cyberattacks, including the energy sector and water systems. To this end, he warned that the US would leverage its “significant” cyber capabilities if this does not happen. However, to calm tensions, he mentioned that security experts on both sides would work together to hold perpetrators of ransomware attacks accountable.
On international crises, the American leader stressed on the need to allow humanitarian aid to reach Syria, to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, and to prevent the “resurgence of terrorism” in Afghanistan. He also emphasised the US’ position that Russia must respect the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Ukraine. Biden further remarked that Putin offered his “help” with regards to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and peace in Afghanistan and Syria.
On the topic of election interference, and cyber and ransomware attacks, Biden warned that he would “take action” if Russia did not bring an end to such malign actions, despite Putin denying his government’s involvement.
Next, Biden warned of “devastating consequences” for Russia if Navalny dies while in prison. A journalist also asked Biden what he thought about Putin saying that Russia’s response to political dissidents and opponents is to avoid a situation like the Capitol Riots on January 6 or the emergence of a Black Lives Matter type movement. Biden responded by describing it as a “ridiculous comparison,” saying that the Capitol rioters were ‘criminals’, whereas the protesters in Russia are simply demanding freedom of speech and political rights.
All things considered, Biden said, “I think that the last thing he wants now is a Cold War” due to the threat of a rising and powerful China and Russia’s own deteriorating economy. Biden acknowledged that this moment of weakness does not mean that he expects Russia to “lay down its arms,” but suggested that Putin may now be willing to make more concessions.
Shortly after, the two sides released a joint statement saying that despite the current tensions in bilateral relations, the US and Russia remain committed to “ensuring predictability in the strategic sphere, [and] reducing the risk of armed conflicts and the threat of nuclear war.” To this end, the statement said that ht extension of the New START Treaty “exemplifies our commitment to nuclear arms control” and shows their joint recognition of the “principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” Keeping this in mind, they agreed to form a bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue to “lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.”