Fabienne Kinzelmann from Geneva
The world has been waiting for this handshake, the world has got it. At around 1:25 p.m. US President Joe Biden (78) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (68) shook hands in front of the Villa La Grange in Geneva on Wednesday. It was the prelude to the sensitive US-Russia summit.
“Welcome to the city of peace”, said Federal Council President Guy Parmelin (61) had previously greeted the two powerful heads of state, whose relationship has broken down. Putin came straight from Geneva-Cointrin Airport. He explicitly did not want a reception on the runway – like Biden the day before. With heavily armed bodyguards, his convoy drove past the onlookers through the city.
Biden made Putin wait. The US president only drove up twelve minutes after the Russian president. A power game: Putin usually makes his interlocutors wait – it was a whole hour when he met Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump (75).
Nevertheless, the mood between the two presidents seemed less chilled than expected. Biden had named Putin a “worthy opponent” two days earlier. A phrase that Putin, who has been in power for more than 21 years, obviously liked. Moscow rhetorically disarmed shortly before the beginning of the summit.
Journalists fought for the best view
But the tensions between the two great powers could not be completely hidden. When Biden and Putin took their seats in the villa, there was apparently a tussle between American and Russian journalists. “It started in front of the building,” reports a CNN correspondent. “There was shoving and yelling outside as all the reporters tried to come in and see the two of them sit down.” A television camera was also blocked.
At the beginning of the summit, Biden seemed more relaxed than his Russian counterpart. While Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (71) sat in their chairs with their legs apart and expressionless, Biden crossed his legs, joked and reached for his notes. The first conversation with the smallest group lasted almost a quarter of an hour longer than expected.
Putin called talks “productive”
The US president had meticulously prepared for the summit with Putin. After talking to ten Russia experts, he had also decided not to hold a joint press conference with Putin. The Americans have learned from the Helsinki disaster of 2018: Putin denied any interference in the 2016 US elections at the joint press conference – and Trump, contrary to the CIA reports, agreed with him.
In their respective press conferences that evening, Biden and Putin presented their views on the talks. “Productive,” said the Russian President. Biden was also satisfied. The thread of the conversation has resumed and the ambassadors who have just withdrawn will soon be allowed to resume their work. The handshake was a good start.