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Resumed personal contacts, working relations on shared interests: Putin outlines his goals for upcoming Biden summit Putin hopes Geneva summit with Biden will help improve strategic stability & lead to resumed Russian-American personal contacts
(about 7 hours later)
While Russia has conservative expectations for the upcoming meeting between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, the two countries could at least start working better where their interests align, the Russian president said. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has conservative expectations for his Geneva meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden, he hopes it can at least lead to the two states beginning to work better where their interests align.
The two presidents are set to have their first one-to-one meeting since Biden’s election, with a tense conversation likely at a low point in US-Russia relations. Moscow has made it clear that it has little hope that next week’s talks in Switzerland will lead to a breakthrough. At a minimum, however, it could lead the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align, Putin said. In comments broadcast by national television, on Sunday, Putin said the military superpowers need “to create actual working mechanisms for cooperation on subjects that are of mutual interest to us." These include “strategic stability, regional conflicts, global concerns about the environment.”
The countries need “to create actual working mechanisms for cooperation on tracks that are of mutual interest to us,” he said in an interview with Russian TV shown on Sunday. These include “strategic stability, regional conflicts, global concerns about the environment.” The two presidents are set to have their first one-to-one meeting since Biden’s took office, in January, with a tense conversation likely at a low point in US-Russia relations. 
Relations between the US and Russia have been on the decline for decades, but took a nosedive during the Trump era. The former US president was relentlessly accused by his political opponents of being soft on Moscow or even secretly being controlled by the Russian government. His actual policies towards Russia were quite hostile, however, going beyond what his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama did. Relations between the US and Russia were reasonably good in the 1990s and 2000s, but have taken a nosedive over the past decade. During the Donald Trump presidency, Moscow was repeatedly used as a political football to bash the Republican leader. 
He was relentlessly accused by his political opponents of being soft on Russia or even secretly being controlled by Putin. His actual policies towards Russia were quite hostile, however, perhaps as a result, and much sterner than those of his Democratic Party predecessor Barack Obama. 
Among other things, Trump sent lethal military aid to Ukraine and ended two Cold War-era treaties with Russia that placed restrictions on intermediate-range nuclear weapons and allowed trust-building through regular military inspections. Biden’s win allowed another key treaty, New START, to be salvaged. This limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons that the US and Russia can have.Among other things, Trump sent lethal military aid to Ukraine and ended two Cold War-era treaties with Russia that placed restrictions on intermediate-range nuclear weapons and allowed trust-building through regular military inspections. Biden’s win allowed another key treaty, New START, to be salvaged. This limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons that the US and Russia can have.
Otherwise, the Biden administration has continued treating Moscow as a strategic rival. The incumbent US president accused Russia of launching cyberattacks against the US, meddling in its elections, and at one point called Putin a killer. The Russian president downplayed the characterization as “Hollywood machismo” meant for the domestic audience in the US. Otherwise, the Biden administration has continued treating Moscow as a strategic rival. The incumbent US president accused Russia of launching cyberattacks against the US, meddling in its elections, and at one point implied Putin was "a killer." The Russian president downplayed the characterization as “Hollywood machismo” meant for the domestic audience in the US.
During the new interview, Putin also stressed that the poor state of relations between the two countries, including sanctions that Washington has been placing on it, hurt both sides. During Sunday interview, Putin also stressed that the poor state of relations between the two countries, including sanctions that Washington has placed on Moscow, hurt both sides.
“Many American companies want to work with us. They get pulled out of our market by the ears, and they give way to competitors. Does that really benefit the American economy?” he wondered.“Many American companies want to work with us. They get pulled out of our market by the ears, and they give way to competitors. Does that really benefit the American economy?” he wondered.
The Biden-Putin meeting is to take place near Geneva on Wednesday. There will be no joint media conference following the talks, with Washington reportedly concerned that putting the two leaders side-by-side before the press would give an edge to Putin. A 2018 meeting between him and Trump in Helsinki resulted in a PR disaster for the previous US president. The Biden-Putin meeting is to take place on Wednesday. There will be no joint media conference following the talks, with Washington reportedly concerned that putting the two leaders side-by-side before the press would give an edge to Putin. A 2018 meeting between him and Trump in Helsinki resulted in a PR disaster for the previous US president.
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