Biden, Putin slated to meet in Geneva on June 16 amid rising tensions
US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to hold their first face-to-face meeting in the Swiss city of Geneva on June 16, the White House and the Kremlin said, amid rising disputes between Washington and Moscow over a range of controversial issues.
Jen Psaki, the White House spokeswoman, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday and said, “The leaders will discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the US-Russia relationship.”
The Kremlin also said in a statement that the two presidents would discuss bilateral ties, problems related to strategic nuclear stability and other issues including cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and regional conflicts.
The announcement came after a month of deliberations on both sides over the timing and location of a possible bilateral meeting.
Biden proposed the meeting last month and said he would like to hold a summit with Putin during his trip to Europe in June, offering to meet in a third country to discuss rising tensions between the two countries.
The Russian foreign ministry said last week that Moscow has “significant differences” with Washington in how it views world affairs but is ready to discuss contentious issues with the US based on honesty and mutual respect.
The US has imposed waves of sanctions against Russia, including over the situation in Ukraine, alleged meddling in the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections, and the recent jailing of opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
Relations between the two countries hit a new low in March after Biden, in an interview called Putin a “killer” and said the Russian president would have to “pay a price” for what he alleged was interference in the 2020 US presidential election. Moscow has denied such allegations.
More recently, tensions escalated between the two sides over the Russian-speaking Donbass region of Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia forces have been fighting since 2014.
Kiev and its Western allies accuse Moscow of having a hand in the crisis. Moscow, however, denies the allegations.
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