The presidents of the United States, Joe Biden, and of Russia, Vladimir Putin, hold their first summit on Wednesday at the time of bilateral relations in decades and when the lack of personal harmony is no longer a secret.
The meeting takes place in Geneva, Switzerland and marks the close of Biden’s first working tour as president. The American said Tuesday that he intends to point Putin on “red lines” to avoid further deterioration in the relationship.
Putin, for his part, goes to the meeting without illusions about a possible improvement in relations, but I decide to bet on pragmatism and open to cooperate in areas such as strategic stability and cybersecurity.
“I do not expect great progress,” said the Russian leader a few days before the summit that will take place at Villa La Grange in Geneva.
Putin’s expectations are justified, since since Biden arrived at the White House on January 20, the two presidents have had several bitter exchanges, including accusations of murder. This is how this relationship has been.
February 5: “a very aggressive rhetoric”
“I have clearly told President Putin, in a very different way from my predecessor (Donald Trump), that the time when the United States was subjected to aggressive acts of Russia … is over,” Biden warned on 5 May. February.
The Democrat cited Russian interference in the 2020 and 2016 US elections, cyber attacks and “the poisoning of citizens”, referring to opposition politician Alexei Navalni.
“We will not hesitate to make Russia pay a very high cost and to defend our interests,” he added.
The following day, the spokeswoman for the Russian presidency replied: “It is very aggressive and not constructive rhetoric, we regret it.”
March 17: Putin is a “murderer”
In a television interview, Biden sparked the first diplomatic crisis of his tenure.
– “Do you think (Putin) is a murderer?” The journalist asked him.
– “Yes, I think so,” he replied without specifying whether it was a reference to Navalni. “You will soon see the price he is going to pay.”
Asked about Russia’s electoral interference in 2016 and 2020, he repeated that Putin “will pay the consequences.”
“We have had a long conversation, he and I, I know him well,” said the Democratic leader. “I told him: ‘I know him and you know me, if I conclude that you did this, be prepared” to face the consequences, he added.
The Russian government called its ambassador to the United States for consultations at the time.
March 18: “He who says so is”
The next day, Putin replied in a mocking tone: “Whoever says it is! It is not just a childish expression, a joke (…) one always sees the characteristics of oneself in the other,” he insisted.
“We will defend our own interests and work with (the Americans) under conditions that are advantageous to us,” he added.
He proposed a “conversation” broadcast live: “It will be interesting for the Russian people, for the American people and for many other countries.”
The United States was silent.
“This is another wasted opportunity to get out of the impasse in US-Russian relations produced by Washington’s fault,” the Russian government lamented.
April 15: “The time for de-escalation has arrived”
On April 15, Biden signed sanctions against Russia “if it continues to interfere with our democracy,” a reference to the gigantic cyberattack of 2020.
Such sanctions, the toughest since the Barack Obama administration, are in addition to the measures adopted in March after the Navalni case. Washington also expelled 10 Russian diplomats.
The decree authorizes the US government to sanction any sector of the Russian economy and used it to restrict Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt.
“The time has come for de-escalation,” he said, proposing a bilateral summit “this summer in Europe” to “initiate a strategic dialogue on stability” in disarmament and security.
The following day, Russia responded to the sanctions with the expulsion of 10 US diplomats and “recommended” to the US ambassador in Moscow to return to his country.
“Ten diplomats were included in the list that was given to us with the request that they leave the United States. We are going to respond to this measure reciprocally and we will ask ten American diplomats in Russia to leave our country,” declared the Minister of Relations. Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov, at a press conference.
May 4: “I hope and believe it”
On May 4, Biden repeated that he hoped to meet his Russian counterpart. “I hope and believe it. We work for that,” he said.
In mid-April he proposed a meeting. Putin let his spokesman respond and the Kremlin assured that it was studying the “concrete dates”.
May 30: “They violate rights”
“I am meeting President Putin in two weeks in Geneva,” Biden announced on May 30. “And I will tell him clearly that we will not sit idly by while they violate (human) rights.”
“We are under no illusions and we are not trying to give the impression that there will be a breakthrough, of historic decisions that will bring about fundamental changes,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov replied on June 1.
June 12: “Machista”
Responding on Saturday to a question about Biden’s term “murderer”, Putin chuckled and said: “I am used to attacks from everywhere using any pretext and reason (…) and nothing surprises me.” . Putin assured that the word “murderer” is a “macho” term typical of Hollywood.
These types of speeches “are part of American politics, where it is considered normal. But here it is not,” he added.
With information from AFP and EFE
