Putin and Biden Intend to Start Dialogue Together: The Positive and Negative Aspects of the Meeting

The negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joseph Biden in Geneva have concluded. This was the first Russian-American summit since 2018, as well as the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Biden as heads of state. International media and the public are discussing this meeting, trying to understand its positive and negative outcomes.

One positive and encouraging fact is that the summit took place despite serious disagreements between the two sides. The leaders of the two largest powers, nonetheless, engaged in a face-to-face meeting and sat at the negotiation table, which suggests that diplomacy remains a priority in international politics.

In a joint statement by Putin and Biden, they expressed their intention to begin dialogue regarding strategic stability. "We aim to lay the groundwork for future measures on arms control and risk mitigation," the statement said.

In the near future, Russia and the US intend to start consultations on cybersecurity, prisoner exchanges, and arms control.

As a result of the two presidents' meeting, the issue of the return of ambassadors was resolved. In March, their mutual recall had brought Russian-American relations to the lowest level.

The Putin-Biden meeting also had negative sides. No specific agreements were reached between the presidents, which is something that no one really expected from the first meeting. In recent years, numerous unresolved issues have accumulated in the relations between the two countries, which cannot be resolved in one meeting.