Villa La Grange, a historic home for the Biden-Putin summit
The US president in Geneva for the summit with Russia.
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June 16, 2021It is the day of the expected face to face between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin in Geneva. The US president arrives at the meeting as the last stop on his eight-day European tour.
The expected duration of the meeting, which will be held at Villa la Grange, is between four and five hours. Talks could last longer than expected today. This is what Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin Biden will take a decision in Geneva today on the return of their respective ambassadors to Moscow and Washington, Peskov said.
Media: Putin refuses protocol meeting upon arrival in Geneva
Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly refused a protocol meeting with the Swiss authorities at Geneva airport. This was reported by the local press, taken up by the Moscow radio station Eco. The publication "Tribune de Geneve" in fact noted that the city authorities were preparing to receive Putin at the ramp of the plane, which is the same way they greeted President Joe Biden the day before. The cantonal government has made it clear to TASS that Putin's visit is not a state visit but has come to Geneva for talks with the president of the United States.
Peskov: "We need an agreement on arms control"
The agenda of today's summit between Putin and Biden, "is too broad to be exhausted within four or five hours, so the talks will last as long as the two leaders deem necessary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
" Nobody is putting time limits on presidents. It will be their choice ", he added in an interview with Channel One. Geneva will agree to start arms control.
" Strategic stability and arms control are very delicate and complex issues and it is a matter that goes beyond our bilateral relations because strategic stability is a matter for the whole world, "Peskov said. The United States made the political decision to extend the NewSTART treaty, Peskov recalled.
"It is a good thing but time is running out and it is necessary to start the talks urgently. The talks will be very difficult, very complex. The two presidents will make a decision today on how to start these negotiations, when, and under what mechanisms", he said. Peskov declared.
Moscow: "Russia did its best for a positive outcome"
Russia has done "its best" to ensure that today's meeting in Geneva between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American President Joe Biden ends with a "positive" outcome. This was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov, arguing that '' Russia has done its best during the preparations for the summit so that this can end in a positive way and with results that are able to put an end to the continuing deterioration. of bilateral relations '', thus starting '' an improvement phase ''.
In statements released to the Russian news agency Sputnik, Riabkov then described today's day as "of utmost importance". '' The leaders of Russia and the United States meet in Geneva. The world is following the event with great attention, '' he added.
The summit program
The summit in Geneva between the Russian president, Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, will begin in the presence of the two foreign ministers, the Russian Serghei Lavrov and the American Tony Blinken. "If the two presidents deem it necessary, they will speak face to face, face to face." This was stated by the spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, in an interview with Channel One.
The meeting will be divided into two sessions: the first, which will be in a restricted format, will be attended, in addition to the presidents, by Blinken and Lavrov; then the meeting will expand to include a delegation of five members on each side.
Today's Geneva summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin
at 13.35, according to what the White House has announced.
Biden will arrive at Villa La Grange at 1.10pm, where he will be received by Swiss President Guy Parmelin. At 1.25pm the photo with Biden, Putin and Parmelin is scheduled.
The White House program does not include a business lunch.
We therefore start at 13.35 with a bilateral meeting between Biden and Putin, followed by the "extended bilateral" meeting at 14.55.
At 16.40, the program informs, the extended bilateral meeting continues.
As is known, a joint press conference is not planned. At the end of the summit, Biden will hold a press conference at the Hotel du parc in Geneva, the time of which has not been fixed, before leaving for Washington in the evening. Putin's meeting with the Russian press is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
This is the first face-to-face meeting between Biden and Putin since the first took office in the US presidency.