BREAKING NEWS - Biden and Putin's showdown starts with a VERY awkward photo op: Joe says 'it's better to meet in person' as face-off begins with little eye contact, few words spoken and aides telling shouting press to 'go away'
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun their summit at a villa on Lake Geneva with a very awkward photo opportunity with stilted chat, minimal eye contact and with aides shooing the press away.
The two men arrived at the summit within a few minutes of each other: Putin, after a last-minute arrival by air and motorcade; Biden by driving from his nearby hotel, having arrived Tuesday.
Biden extended his hand first. Putin accepted, and the two proceeded to shake hands and smile for the cameras outside the Villa de La Grange before heading inside.
During a photo-op in the library, Biden grinned while photographers jostled to capture the historic meeting.
'It's always better to meet face to face,' Biden said, flashing a big smile. He sat with his legs crossed, and at one point put a white notecard into his suit jacket inside pocket.
The event was set up not to have public comments by either man, and Putin could be seen sitting back in his chair, tapping his hand against his wooden armrest and looking bored while they waited.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was seated to Biden's right, taking notes. To Biden's left was Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, seated with his hands between his legs.
Then a minder cajoled the press, telling the photographers: 'Go away please,' and they were ushered out of the room so the first substantive meeting could begin.
The highly-anticipated first presidential summit is a Cold War throwback to Ronald Reagan's meeting with the Soviet strongman Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva in 1985.
Relations between the two sides are similarly cool - at their lowest ebb in decades after the Kremlin's cyber offensives, election meddling, threats to invade Ukraine, poisonings of dissidents both at home and abroad, and its increased intervention in the Middle East, where it is accused of shadowy mercenary deployments.
Putin looks down at the floor during an awkward first moment with Biden ahead of five hours of gruelling chat to help salvage relations between Moscow and Washington
During a photo-op inside, Biden grinned while photographers jostled to capture the historic meeting. 'It's always better to meet face to face,' Biden said, flashing a big smile. He sat with his legs crossed, and at one point put a white notecard into his suit jacket inside pocket. The event was set up not to have public comments by either man, and Putin could be seen sitting back in his chair, tapping his hand against his wooden armrest while they waited.
Putin smiles with Biden as the pair shake hands ahead of their highly-anticipated summit to address failing relations
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was seated to Biden's right, taking notes. To Biden's left was Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, seated with his hands between his legs.
Biden sits with his legs crossed and sits up stiffly as Putin adopts a more macho repose, his legs apart and leaning back with his hand draped over the armrest
Putin shakes hands with Biden inside the opulent Villa de la Grange overlooking Lake Geneva after posing for a photo with the Swiss President Guy Paremlin outside
Biden extended his hand first. Putin accepted, and the two proceeded to shake hands and smile for the cameras. They ignored questions shouted by reporters covering the summit.
Biden and Putin smile and look ahead awkwardly as their meeting begins at the villa overlooking Lake Geneva
Biden places a note card on the table as he and Putin exchange small talk ahead of five hours of gruelling meetings to help repair relations
The two leaders were flanked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Putin and Biden exchange warm glances with each other as the world's media watches on ahead of five hours of talks which the US President has promised will include tough topics such as Russian hacking and the poisoning of dissidents
Putin gestures towards the US President as the pair exchange small talk ahead of five hours of meetings
Putin waves at the press as he enters the Villa de la Grange behind Biden in Geneva
Putin and Biden look awkwardly ahead as photographers swarm around them before their talks inside the Swiss villa
The two men arrived at the summit within a few minutes of each other: Putin, after a last-minute arrival by air and motorcade; Biden by driving from his nearby hotel, having arrived Tuesday (pictured: the pair posing with Swiss President Guy Parmelin at the highly-choreographed meeting)
Biden's own limo, 'the Beast,' arrived at 1:18 pm, shortly after the officially posted 1:10 pm start time. Biden stood for a traditional grip-and-grin photo with the Swiss President Guy Parmelin, smiling for the cameras with an extended shake
Russia's President Vladimir Putin waves next to Swiss President Guy Parmelin as he arrives at Villa de la Grange for the U.S.-Russia summit, in Geneva
Biden shakes hands with the Swiss President Parmelin as he arrives at the villa on Wednesday at around 1pm
Putin and Biden pose for a photo opp with the Swiss President Paremlin after arriving separately at the villa overlooking Lake Geneva
Putin's motorcade rolls through Geneva on Wednesday. Street lights for Putin's route on the brief drive to the villa were flashing yellow, with a main thoroughfare along the lake completely cleared of traffic for the summit.
Putin shakes hands with the Swiss president who is seeking to play ice breaker to the Russian and US presidents ahead of their meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Geneva Wednesday afternoon for his summit with President Joe Biden
Putin steps off his jet at Geneva Airport flanked by bodyguards before getting into his limo. Putin was riding in an armored Aurus, a state-owned luxury vehicle that reportedly has backing from the United Arab Emirates.
Putin quickly exited the jet stairway and joined his motorcade, offering a quick wave
Putin, who is known to roll in late to seek the upper hand, arrived before Biden - avoiding any early gaming.
Washington has been seeking to lower expectations amid the fanfare and buildup, which saw Moscow rocking the boat over the weekend with naval drills staged 300 miles off the coast of Hawaii - its largest military exercise in the Pacific since the Cold War.
'We have a 20+ year track record of seeing exactly who Putin is - no summit is going to change that, and I'm sure Biden and his team know that,' tweeted former Obama deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes.
The event has been both choreographed in its broad outlines and adjusted on the fly, some areas left entirely open – including the food.
'No breaking of bread,' quipped a senior official when asked about the lack of a set meal.
But the official allowed, 'I presume that the principals and the participants can ask for some water or coffee or tea ...' The summit format also allowed for breaks to be determined.
Putin, too, is certain to want to put his spin on events, but hasn't said how he will do it when, or where.
He has kept up a busy schedule of interviews in the days leading up to the summit.
The relationship has featured intense comments, and Biden agreed with Putin's assessment that national relations were at a 'low point.'
Biden says he once told Putin he had 'no soul.' He caused an uproar when he agreed Putin was a 'killer.'
But this week he also called him 'bright' and 'tough,' as well as a 'worthy adversary.'
He wants to see if there is a way to at least establish 'stability and predictability' in U.S.-Russia relations.
'We should decide where it's in our mutual interest, in the interest of the world, to cooperate, and see if we can do that,' Biden said this week. 'And the areas where we don't agree, make it clear what the red lines are.'
Putin described Biden with the double-edged 'career man' label, saying he 'spent virtually his entire adulthood in politics.'
Biden dons his signature pair of aviators as he steps off Air Force One on arrival in Switzerland on Tuesday
Biden is pictured in his limousine on his way out of Cointrin airport after arriving in Switzerland on Tuesday
Biden (L) meets the Swiss delegation members next to Swiss Federal president Guy Parmelin (R) in front of Air Force One after Biden's arrival at Cointrin airport in Geneva on Tuesday
Vladimir Putin is briefed by an adviser in Moscow on Tuesday before he set off for Geneva for his showdown with Biden
Putin said the remark this week by way of contrast with former President Trump, who he met at the infamous Helsinki summit – presenting Trump with a soccer ball and standing alongside Trump while he accepted Putin's denials of election interference in 2016.
Biden has limited his comments on the issues he would raise. But he and his aides have said he will bring up ransomware, hacking, election interference, Ukraine, press freedoms, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and human rights.
The Navalny issue is a particularly thorny one. To the U.S. it is a core rule of law issue. Biden wants to send a message to dissidents and other opposition figures, but it is an area where it will be challenging to make progress.
'Navalny's death would be another indication of Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights. It would be a tragedy,' Biden said this week when asked what it would mean should he die in prison.
'We should not lose sight of the fact that Navalny is the most famous of several hundred political prisoners,' said Matthew Rojansky, director of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute in Washington. He said Biden may want to raise the question of Russia's political prisoners more broadly.
He said the U.S. should hold Putin to international standards and its own commitments as well as Russia's own constitution. 'We should try to hold them to those standards. The problem is the regime views these behaviors as essential to its survival. They're not things we can convince them that they should reverse,' he noted.'
If Biden didn't already know it, he should be prepared for Putin trying to turn the tables on him by bringing up domestic U.S. politics. In recent days he has spoken about the prosecution of Capitol rioters while discoursing on Black Lives Matter protests, a go-to tactics when outsiders seek to call attention to stifling of internal dissent or lack of press freedoms.
Biden also must decide how direct he wants to be when he warns Russia about ransomware attacks the U.S. believes come from its soil, even if not government-run operations.
Biden said this week: '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 two men are set to meet in Geneva at the Villa de la Grange, a building with a long history that is located near the luxury hotel where Biden is staying. With its stocked Empire bookcases, Trompe l'oeil ceiling details, and colorful rose garden, the building and grounds offers bountiful opportunities for photo-ops and small talk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is putting on a show of force with the largest naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean since the end of the Cold War ahead of a meeting with Biden
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