It’s been quite a week in the Biden administration as the president continues his European tour. During his time abroad, Biden has taken the opportunity to visit with many foreign leaders and dignitaries on behalf of the United States. None of these meetings, however, has been as highly anticipated as the president’s most recent meeting in Geneva with one of his biggest rivals, Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
The Sit Down…
During his meeting with the infamous Russian leader, the two discussed their thoughts on Iran and North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, Syria, the Artic, arms control, climate change, strategic stability and COVID-19.
One of the hottest topics up for the discussion, however, is the recent Russian led cyberattacks against U.S. companies such as Colonial Pipeline. A Russian involvement that Putin continues to downplay. As the list of companies falling victim to ransomware attacks continues to grow, Biden made it a top priority to open discussions on how the two nations can work together to combat this ongoing threat.
During a press conference Monday, Biden stated, “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. We will respond in kind.”
The Russian leader’s negative attitude towards President Biden is well-known as the two have previously crossed paths during Biden’s previous stint in the White House during Biden’s time as Vice President under the Obama administration.
While the two leaders are not known to be on great terms, Biden recently stated that this meeting was not about making friends or the two rivals pretending to be something they are not, but, rather, a time for the two to sit down and discuss the pressing issues both of their nations currently face.
This meeting comes after four years of Trump’s touting his ability to befriend the leader, often stating that Putin was a “nice guy,” and reiterating his thoughts that it would be a good thing if the U.S. and Russia could get along. This was the overarching tactic to Trump’s outreach to the weaker relationships between U.S. officials and some of their longtime rivals such as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Though, it did not appear that Biden intended to “make nice” with the Russian leader during his visit as some claimed Trump was guilty of, he did note that Putin is a “smart guy” and a “worthy rival” to the United States. This is a bit softer rhetoric for Biden in regard to Putin who, during his time as Vice President, he once described as a “killer.” A comment that, when questioned on before the summit, President Putin merely laughed off.
An Unusual Set of Press Conferences
After the meeting, both Biden and Putin held separate press conferences. An unusual move as most foreign leaders will meet together post meeting to address the questions of the press together. When questioned about this unusual set up, Biden told reporters he didn’t want to have a joint press conference with Putin to avoid breathless analysis of the two’s body language.
Some believe, however that Biden officials made this move to keep the U.S. President away from an open microphone while standing next to one of the nation’s biggest antagonists.
This is but the first of what could be several meetings between the two leaders. Despite their well-publicized animosity for each other, the meeting did appear to go off without a hitch. Only time will tell whether or not the two will be able to continue a professional relationship during Biden’s time in office or if Putin’s hate for the American left will be powerful enough to push Biden over the edge.
Learn More Here…
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