Arms control, global conflicts, pandemic and climate change are some of the topics that the Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, respectively, will be discussing at the summit scheduled for June 16 in Geneva, but the biggest challenge will be both countries must try to rebuild a relationship that is experiencing one of the worst moments since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Analysts had little hope that Democrat Joe Biden’s visit to the White House could be a good moment for relations between the two countries – not least because Vladimir Putin always seems to have displayed the personality of a former US president in a hurry. Donald Trump.
And it all started well: Biden managed, as soon as he took office, to save “in extremis” the treaty between them on the non-proliferation of weapons. But since then, relations have deteriorated for direct or indirect reasons – as in the case with Belarus.
At an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin raised the issue to criticize the US position, especially on how the Moscow government treats dissidents. Putin drew a parallel with the events at the US Capitol ahead of Biden’s inauguration and the way the Belarusian authorities reacted to the anti-government protests.
But after that – and a few more “barbs” against Biden – the Russian president said: “We need to find a way to improve relations, which are currently at an extremely low level. We have no problem with the United States, but they have a problem with us: they want to hinder our development and they talk about it publicly. This will is the source of economic restrictions and attempts to influence our domestic policy. “
Nevertheless, Putin said he did not expect significant results from the summit with Biden and reiterated that Moscow is not to blame for the current US-Russian relationship. “We are not the first to worsen relations. We did not impose sanctions, but the United States, which uses every opportunity to do so, even if there is no reason, did so, ”he said. He added: “All empires think they are powerful and can be wrong. But problems are piling up, and the day will come when they cannot be solved. The United States follows the path of the Soviet Union. “
In this context, the summit will certainly be a moment of tension, not a deterrent – and if the negotiations fail, the relationship between them will continue to be marked by threats and escalating conflicts.
