Biden and Putin hold landmark summit in Geneva

The summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended around 11 a.m. ET, or 5 p.m. local time. It ended a little earlier than expected, but both leaders are expected to face reporters separately afterward.

Mr. Biden and Putin shook hands earlier Wednesday. News cameras were allowed into the room to photograph the two leaders sitting together before the talks began. The presidents were joined in the room for the first session of discussions by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, along with translators for each side. 

Putin thanked Mr. Biden for showing initiative to arrange the summit and expressed hope that it would be a productive meeting.

Later sessions were to see a wider group of officials from both sides join the presidents and their top diplomats. 

At a news conference on Monday, Mr. Biden declined to say what he wanted out of the meeting with the Russian leader, which comes after a series of cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure blamed on Russian hackers. 

The U.S. and its allies have piled pressure on Putin over the cyberattacks and a range of other issues, including his country’s backing of rebels in Ukraine, the crackdown on political dissidents in Russia, including opposition leader Alexey Navalny, American citizens jailed in Russia, and Moscow’s weapons programs. 

A recent CBS News poll found that the majority of Americans want Mr. Biden to take a tough stance with Putin, rather than opting for a more cooperative approach with the autocrat known for allowing human rights abuses. 

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meet for the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS