“This is the beginning of the last chapter”: foreign media about the Putin-Baida summit

1On June 6, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden met for the first time as the presidents of Russia and the United States. The talks were held behind closed doors, and the leaders spoke to the press separately. What foreign media wrote about the first meeting-in the material of RBC

 is the beginning of the last chapter.;: foreign media about the Putin-Baida summit

The New York Times, USA

“The two came out after a nearly three-hour meeting, having studied a detailed list of issues of disagreement, without a hint of a solution to at least one of them, and without any sign of a personal connection that could help bridge the gap between the two countries.”

“Their assessments of each other were respectful, but restrained. <...> The fact that Biden and Putin spoke at separate press conferences is itself indicative of a coolness in their relationship. Since 1989, when U.S. President George W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev addressed reporters together after the Malta summit, joint media appearances have become the standard for American and Russian leaders. <..."And even if Biden avoided breaking up with Putin at the first meeting, this is only the beginning of the last chapter in Russian-American relations."

CNN, USA

“Despite the fact that at the beginning of his press conference, Putin said that he did not think that there was any hostility between him and Biden, he launched into the already familiar anti-American votaboutism (whataboutism is an ironic name for the tactic of answering a question with the use of a counterargument.& mdash; RBC), to distract from criticism of the Russian Federation. <..."Those who constantly watch the Russian president are used to this level of confidence and condescension. Putin is so confident in absolute power at home that he can come to a meeting with the most powerful man on Earth, and he has almost nothing to lose.

“The optics of the summit were almost tailored to the needs of Putin at home. <..."This is exactly what the Kremlin wants. Talk to the US on an equal footing so that the other side does not demand a change of position as a condition for dialogue, " says Oleg Ignatov, senior Russia analyst at Crisis Group. "There is no doubt that Putin will continue to test Biden if the dialogue reaches an impasse or takes a direction unfavorable for Moscow. This is not yet the beginning of normalization of relations. This is a pause in their further deterioration, " he adds.

The Guardian, UK

“Five things we learned from the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva”

1. The strange and unpredictable Trump era is over. In 2018, Donald Trump held a disastrous summit with Putin in the Finnish capital Helsinki. <…> Biden was well prepared for the US-Russia summit. <…> The summit followed the usual diplomatic lines: a handshake, several hours of intense negotiations, and separate press conferences following the results. The ghost of Helsinki was banished. <...>

2. Putin’s vision of Washington is (still) negative. Over the past two decades, he has met with five American presidents. Along the way, he hatched a list of geopolitical grievances. <…> As during the Cold War, Putin sees America as an adversary and a global rival. <...>

3. The summit achieved some concrete results. <…> One of them is the intention to normalize the situation with the Russian and American ambassadors.

4. Putin is a master of shifting the focus and translating the discussion into the plane of “what’s up with you” (in the original whataboutism. RBCAt the final press conference, Western correspondents asked why young people in Russia were not allowed to protest against the government. They also asked about the poisoning of political opponents. Putin responded with lengthy and irrelevant monologues.

5. When it is convenient for Putin, he can appear on time at large events. The Russian president has a long history of making world leaders loiter around in what appears to be a deliberate display of superiority. On the eve of the summit in Geneva, American top officials drew up a protocol according to which the Russian leader should arrive first. Their fears were well-founded.”

BBC, United Kingdom

“What is the measure of the success of this summit? I think Joe Biden will see success in the fact that they discussed the most complicated issues in detail. I think Mr. Biden-for his audience-wanted to prove that his tour “America is back” also means “I’m not Donald Trump”. <…> On the way back to the US on board number one, Biden said: “We will respond if Russia does not do what we want, in the field of cybersecurity, human rights and everythingthe rest.” But how will he answer? That’s not clear. I am sure that Mr. Putin, returning to Moscow, will think: “Okay, he said all these things, but what is he going to do about it?”Mr. Putin has seen Western leaders before. Perhaps he will think that Biden is a different type of American president. But I think Putin is going to test his boundaries and Biden will eventually have to decide what he’s going to answer with.”

Politico, USA

Both used words like “constructive” and “positive” to describe the nearly four-hour meeting. But, as expected, almost nothing came out of the negotiations, at least to the extent that they became known to the public, except for agreements to continue discussing issues ranging from nuclear weapons to the war in Ukraine.

Le Monde, France

“It is better for Moscow to be feared, not respected. <..."After months of tougher rhetoric, US sanctions, expulsions of diplomats, and serious accusations, they [Biden and Putin] calmly discussed the controversy at & lt; & hellip;> Villa La Grange in Geneva, standing on the shore of Lake Leman [Lake Geneva]. In contrast to the drama whipped up by commentators and the media, the two presidents cautioned against expecting sensational results ahead of the summit.

It was about addressing pressing issues in a “constructive and predictable” way, Biden said. <…> The main achievement at the end of the summit is the mutual agreement to launch consultations on cybersecurity, as well as on strategic stability, that is, the reduction of nuclear weapons. <…> Such intentions must be put into practice. Both countries have a special responsibility in this area[strategic stability], Vladimir Putin said during his press conference. As the Kremlin explained before the summit, it [Russia] has a desire to build a more constructive, less confrontational working relationship with Washington. However, predictability will reduce Russian influence and its ability to take destabilizing actions. From Moscow’s point of view, it’s better to be feared than respected.

The Wall Street Journal, USA

“Putin is not acting out of personal sympathy or dislike for American leaders. He acts on the rational assumption that he can get away with staying in power, strengthening Russia’s strategic position, and weakening Western democracies. Thankfully, Biden sounded more solid overall.

Источник rbc.ru

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