Vladimir Putin said the meeting with Joe Biden was constructive: “There was no hostility”

Vladimir Poutine assured to have had a “constructive” meeting with Joe Biden, during a press conference at the end of the long-awaited bilateral summit between the Russian president and his American counterpart in Geneva, the first meeting between the two leaders since the start of the Democratic Party. government.

“There was no hostility, on the contrary, our meeting went in a positive waySaid the Russian leader, the first to address the press because there was no agreement for a joint conference. The meeting ended earlier than initially planned on the agenda, after nearly four hours of dialogue, in the presence of several advisers from each country.

“We have differences on several points but the two parties have expressed their desire to understand each other and to reconcile their positions. It has been productive, ”he said.

Putin also confirmed that they were in agreement on the feedback from their respective ambassadors, who had quit their diplomatic posts due to bilateral tensions, when Biden called Putin a “murderer.” “They will return to their workplace. When exactly is a purely technical question, ”he told reporters.

Putin pointed out that there were no mutual invitations to Washington or Moscow. Asked by a reporter about Biden’s comment, the president lowered his voice and He said Biden is a seasoned politician who has demonstrated his moral values. “This does not mean that we have to swear an eternal friendship, we are defending the interests of our countries”he added.

Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated significantly since the current US president came to power in January. On the way forward, he noted: “There were no illusions and there are none now.” But that left open the possibility of a prisoner exchange nationals imprisoned in each country, a subject that was discussed at the summit. “We talk about it, there can be compromises,” he said.

The president also indicated that the two governments have agreed on discuss cybersecurity issues, one of the most sensitive areas of the bilateral relationship due to accusations of attacks and interference against the Kremlin. But instead, Putin blamed Washington. He claimed that the United States had asked Russia for information on 10 different cybersecurity incidents and that Washington had received “complete” responses in all cases, but Russia sent 80 requests in the past two years and received no response. “The largest number of cyberattacks in the world are perpetrated from American space,” he accused.

Putin was also consulted on the situation of the leader of the opposition Alexei Navalny, whose imprisonment has been criticized by Western countries as a sign of political persecution. “This man knew he was breaking the law in force in Russia,” he said, referring to a prison sentence which required Navalny to appear regularly before the prison services.

(With information from AFP)