After months of anticipation and diplomatic preparation, US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met yesterday for the first time since Biden took office.

In describing the summit meeting, the two presidents used similar phrases that were overshadowed by words such as “positive” and “constructive.” Indeed, the summit resulted in some small developments, such as the decision to return the ambassador of each country to the other, and the formation of working groups on cyber attacks.

In contrast to previous meetings, the two presidents did not hold a joint press conference, without presenting the justifications behind their agreement on these arrangements.

At the same time, the meeting was not without the two presidents using a sharp or sarcastic phrase on the other side, with Biden saying that he warned Putin of "devastating consequences" if imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison.

Putin, for his part, mocked human rights in the United States, criticized the racist treatment of blacks, and referred to the incident of extremists storming the Capitol on the sixth of last January.

handshake date

The Russian president shook hands with Biden, who in recent weeks called Putin a murderer, and the summit showed that the calculations of the strategic interests of countries go beyond the positions of presidents and "personalize" their relations.

While both seemed optimistic, the underlying tension was also evident on the two leaders' faces. Putin thanked Biden "for your initiative to meet today." Biden, who was not satisfied with his initiative to hold the summit itself, smiled and added, "Yes, it is always better to meet face to face."

As for choosing Geneva to hold the summit, it was repeated during the Cold War summits between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the Swiss city in 1985.

By contrast, that year, the tensions between the two countries have less to do with strategic nuclear weapons and competing ideologies than with what the Biden administration sees as a hostile, transgressive regime that works to the detriment of the United States.

Whereas Putin regards Russia as simply challenging American hegemony, as part of an effort to strengthen the so-called "multipolar" world, which has seen Russia approach China, the United States' most powerful adversary.

Body language worthy of leaders

And body language expert Marie Civillo saw in the performance of the two presidents, "a strong presence that highlights authority and attractiveness, but with two completely different approaches, each of whom seemed confident in himself, but they had different methods."

Silvio considered that the handshake had important connotations, as she indicated that Biden had a small friendly smile, a sign that he was "open to the other party", while Putin's face remained without any important expressions.

"Putin seemed to be sensitive to Biden's character, and it seemed he didn't want to be there, that he had to be there, and it seemed like he'd rather be anywhere," Civillo said.

And about body language inside the meeting room, Civillo considered that "when Biden's legs were on top of each other, they were facing a slight angle towards Putin, which is appropriate for an open person having a conversation."

On the other hand, I noticed that Putin was sitting with his legs wide apart and straight forward, which is a more aggressive stance and suggests that he is less open to talking.

Civillo considered that "Jade Biden's language was more open, but in the end their body language was one of the reasons why the meeting between the two men in Geneva on Wednesday was so expected."

Storming the Capitol at the Geneva Summit

The most controversial topic at the summit was the Russian president's reminder of the storming of Congress by extremists, supporters of former US President Donald Trump, on January 6.

Putin raised this issue in response to a question about Russia's human rights record, and Putin's reaction was unexpected and different from what state leaders say in defense of their poor record on human rights issues.

Putin also drew attention to the US violations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the continued presence of the Guantanamo prison.

"People came to the US Capitol with political demands," Putin said.

He noted that the response of law enforcement authorities was very harsh.

Biden responded to this proposition in his press conference, and said, "Any comparison between January 6 and the legitimate protests is absurd. The rioters of January 6 were literally criminals."

Biden Wasn't Trump

When former President Donald Trump met Putin in Helsinki in 2018, Trump was widely criticized for his affectionate performance and sympathy for Russia and President Putin.

Trump defended Putin, who denied any Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and criticized the world's appreciation of US intelligence agencies.

But Biden was not attacked for his performance at the Geneva summit, and he succeeded in removing any legacy Trump left for the image of America and its president in the face of major rivals.