Biden and Russia's Putin are reportedly aiming to hold 1st summit in Geneva in June
President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are working toward holding their first presidential summit in Geneva in June, during Biden's first trip abroad as president, U.S. officials tell The Associated Press. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is meeting in Geneva with his Russian counterpart, Nikolay Patrushev, to prepare for a potential summit, and the White House and Kremlin are eyeing June 15-16. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Putin is generally inclined to accept Biden's invitation, Politico reports.
The U.S. and Russia are at loggerheads over suspected Russian hacking of U.S. companies, election interference, and, most recently, its support of Belarus forcibly grounding a commercial jetliner so it could arrest a dissident journalist on board. Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met last week in Iceland, where Lavrov proposed a new U.S.-Russia strategic dialogue. Blinken has said the Biden administration wants a "predictable, stable relationship" with Moscow.
Geneva, a Cold War staple for diplomacy and intrigue, last hosted a summit between U.S. and Russian leaders in 1985, when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev first met face-to-face. Switzerland is neutral territory and not part of NATO, making it a palatable choice for Russia.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
‘The economics of WhatsApp have been mysterious for years’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will Democrats impeach Kristi Noem?Today’s Big Question Centrists, lefty activists also debate abolishing ICE
-
Is a social media ban for teens the answer?Talking Point Australia is leading the charge in banning social media for people under 16 — but there is lingering doubt as to the efficacy of such laws
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
Maduro pleads not guilty in first US court hearingSpeed Read Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy
-
Iran’s government rocked by protestsSpeed Read The death toll from protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency has reached at least 19
-
What will happen in 2026? Predictions and eventsIn Depth The new year could bring peace in Ukraine or war in Venezuela, as Donald Trump prepares to host a highly politicised World Cup and Nasa returns to the Moon
-
All roads to Ukraine-Russia peace run through the DonbasIN THE SPOTLIGHT Volodymyr Zelenskyy is floating a major concession on one of the thorniest issues in the complex negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
-
Israel approves new West Bank settlementsSpeed Read The ‘Israeli onslaught has all but vanquished a free Palestinian existence in the West Bank’
