The eight key points of the Biden and Putin summit: where they disagree and where they could compromise

Expectations of a breakthrough at Wednesday’s summit between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are low, while relations between Washington and Moscow are the most strained in years.

But the two leaders say they hope the Geneva meeting, their first in-person meeting since Biden became president, can lead to stable and predictable relations even if they remain at odds on everything from Ukraine to Syria.

Among the disagreements are some issues on which they could make modest progress.

DATA CYBERQUEST

Attacks ransomware (data hijacking) by criminals allegedly linked to Russia who have twice targeted critical US infrastructure is of concern to the United States.

The FBI has not disclosed any evidence to prove Russian government involvement in the attacks on US fuel carrier Colonial Pipeline Co and Brazilian meat-packing company JBS SA. Putin has said that the idea of ​​Russia being responsible is absurd.

But Biden intends to raise the issue and has suggested that he wants Russian authorities to crack down on these cybercriminals. Putin said Moscow would be willing to hand over the suspects if a bilateral deal was reached.

Biden is also likely to raise US concerns about Russian cyber-interference in US politics, which Moscow, which is pushing for a non-interference pact, denies.

HUMAN RIGHTS, NAVALNY

Biden said his administration would prioritize the global promotion of human rights and democracy and would not hesitate to warn countries of its results.

Washington sharply criticized Moscow for its treatment and the alleged poisoning of Navalny. The government argued that he should be released.

The Kremlin, which denies the poisoning, has said Russian politics is a domestic matter and Washington should stay out of it. Additionally, he said he would not accept sermons from a country he said has many human rights issues.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

The two largest nuclear powers in the world are interested in talk about gun control to ensure stable relations between their armies.

In February, they extended the new START treaty for five years, limiting the number of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers each can deploy.

Moscow is interested in a longer extension that would include newer systems.

After the 2019 demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russia also intends to reach an agreement that neither party will deploy certain land-based missiles in Europe.

UKRAINE

The United States has been Ukraine’s most powerful ally since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, a move that has minimized Moscow’s ties to the West since the end of the Cold War .

An accumulation of Russian forces in Crimea and near Ukraine’s borders earlier this year worried Washington, which wants Russia to return Crimea to Kiev to regain control of part of eastern Ukraine. Ukraine controlled by separatists backed by Russia.

NATO leaders on Monday reiterated 2008 decision that Ukraine may one day joinBut Biden said Kiev would have to eliminate corruption first and meet other criteria.

Putin had made it clear that Ukraine was a “red line” and that he wanted Washington to stay away. He resisted the idea of ​​Ukraine being a member of NATO, said Crimea is Russian, and told Kiev that it had to talk to separatists in eastern Ukraine if it wanted to take over. territory one way or another.

AMBASSADORS, CONSULAR SERVICES

The state of foreign missions is an area where both sides believe there may be room for improvement.

Russia repatriated Anatoly Antonov, its ambassador to Washington, in March after Biden said he believed Putin was a “murderer,” while John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Moscow, returned to Washington for consultations in April.

A deal for the two diplomats to return to their posts would send a signal that progress has been made.

There may also be room for a mini-offer on visa and embassy staff.

Russia, in response to US sanctions, has placed limits on the number of local staff the US embassy can employ, forcing Washington to cut consular services.

He also withdrew from a deal that relaxed restrictions on diplomats traveling to countries on the other.

PRISONERS

Russia has arrested former US Navy Paul Whelan for espionage and Trevor Reed, another former US Navy, for alleged assault on a police officer. They both deny any wrongdoing.

Their families pushed for their release before the summit.

When asked if he would consider a prisoner swap, Putin told NBC News: “Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Whelan’s Russian lawyer had previously suggested that Moscow would be interested in a deal that would bring home arms dealer Viktor Bout, as well as Konstantin Yaroshenko, a pilot convicted of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. United.

BELARUS

The Kremlin has said it hopes Putin and Biden will talk about Belarus, a close Russian ally that plunged into crisis last year when street protests erupted over what protesters called an election presidential rigged.

With help from Moscow, veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko has so far weathered the storm with a brutal crackdown. His landing of a commercial plane last month and the arrest of a dissident blogger on board sparked outrage in the West.

Biden is likely to challenge Putin for his support for Lukashenko and question him about plans to move forward with the economic and political integration of the two countries.

Putin sees Belarus as part of Russia’s sphere of influence and the two leaders are unlikely to agree.

SYRIA

Biden is likely to question Putin about Moscow’s apparent reluctance to continue a UN-backed cross-border aid operation in Syria, whose mandate is due to expire next month.

Last month, UN aid chief Mark Lowcock called on the Security Council not to cut the “lifeline” of cross-border aid to some 3 million Syrians in the north of the country. .

Putin told NBC that Russia believes the West should distribute any aid it provides to Syria through the central government, accusing him of not doing so to try to avoid President Bashar al- Assad.

(with information from Reuters)

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