The Russian-American summit in Geneva on June 16 will last five hours, according to the protocol program.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival at the Villa La Grande and a joint photo session with United States President Joe Biden and Swiss President Guy Parmelin are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. local time, according to documents released by the Kremlin press service ahead of the event.
The conversation between the U.S. and Russian presidents on the ground floor in a library is due to begin at 1:15 p.m.
The Russian-U.S. talks in an expanded format are schedule to begin at 2:30 p.m.
These talks will resume after a break at 4:15 p.m.
The Russian president’s press conference is due to begin at 6:00 p.m.
A meeting between U.S. President Joseph Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for June 16 in Geneva, will be devoted to developing rules for their confrontation that are manageable and predictable for both sides, both in Ukraine and on a number of other international issues, political scientist believes, Director of the Institute of Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov said.
“The point of the Biden-Putin meeting will be to develop rules for the confrontation between the United States and Russia so that this confrontation is manageable. This also applies to Ukraine, judging by Putin’s recent interview. It should be understood that Ukraine remains for a long time a territory where the interests of the United States and Russia will come into contact. It is important for Biden and Putin to understand the limits of this influence and to make the overlapping of their interests more predictable and manageable and not turn into direct or even military clashes,” “Karasiov told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, it will also be important for the Russian President to hear from the U.S. President about his plans to provide Ukraine with the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP).
According to political scientist, Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko, “one should not expect sensations from the meeting between Biden and Putin, although the background itself and the upcoming negotiations will be quite sharp.”
“There are exaggerated expectations against an overly aggressive background. Biden fears the Republican party, which, criticizing him, is gaining strength. In turn, Putin fears losing control over gas transit, as once happened with Gorbachev [Soviet President Mykhail Gorbachev]. As a result of their meeting, there will be no easy decisions on certain issues. There will be an intricate text of the communique, a general press conference, but we will not get something that would give us the opportunity to draw quick conclusions,” Nebozhenko said.
According to the political scientist, “sensations should be expected by the autumn.” “After Putin and Biden, other players will come to the fore, namely, China, the EU countries, even Ukraine, each with its own political party.”
According to expert of Hardarika Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko, in the conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States around Ukraine, the key issue will be the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
“They will try to find such a mechanism so that Russia does not ‘lose face’ in the gas pipeline construction, and the United States can show that they ensure the security of Ukraine,” he told the agency.
Matviyenko said the leaders of Russia and the United States will focus, in addition to Ukraine, on the issue of resuming the nuclear deal with Iran, the Russian initiative to ease sanctions, “since they are” hitting “its technical capabilities in the military sector,” as well as Russia’s access to world food markets and seeking informal quota arrangements.
According to PhD in Political Science, political scientist Ihor Petrenko, the talks between the presidents of the United States and Russia “will most likely focus on environmental issues, since it is in this that they can reach consensus and progress.”
“If you recall, Putin devoted a significant part of his address to the Federal Assembly in April to ecology. It was a kind of pass towards Biden. And ecology is one of the electoral promises of the U.S. leader, important for his political agenda,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called the proposal of U.S. President Joe Biden to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a third country as correct, since this dialogue could “resolve a number of issues.”
“I believe that this [Biden’s intention to meet with Putin on the territory of a third country] is correct. This is very […] timely, very important […] I think this could solve a number of issues, because there should be a dialogue between these countries. Sometimes, when such large states do not communicate, others suffer. Believe us, we understand that,” Zelensky said at a briefing following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday.
At the same time, Zelensky said that if during the meeting the leaders of the United States and Russia raise the issue of Ukraine, which may well be relevant, then the discussion will not be “so substantive and correct.”
“It [the issue of Ukraine] will not be substantive, it will not be correct, and this will once again show that large countries are in size, they think that everything is around them, but it seems to me that the world is much larger,” the president said.
BIDEN, PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, PUTIN
U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects the opportunity to visit Ukraine again and assured him of his support in reforming the country, Head of the President’s Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said.
“President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Joe Biden. President Biden supports Ukraine in everything, and his team highly appreciates everything that President Zelensky does in reforming the country. Joe Biden said that he is waiting for the opportunity to visit Ukraine again and also remembered his speech in the Ukrainian parliament,” Yermak wrote on his Facebook page.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Zelensky, following the conversation with U.S. President Biden, said that he appreciates the support of the United States and intends to seriously reform the country.
Charge d’Affaires of the United States in Ukraine Kristina Kvien expressed confidence that a telephone conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place.
“Secretary Blinken’s remarks confirm that Ukraine will be a high priority for the administration and there’s no doubt that a call between President Biden and President Zelensky will happen,” Kvien said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
In turn, Deputy Political Counselor Lynette Behnke pointed out that the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine hopes that both presidents will be able to talk directly, that it is essential to recall that, nevertheless, much has been achieved at other levels, somewhat below the level of the leaders of the countries.
“In early February, very early in this administration, Secretary Blinken spoke to his counterpart, Foreign Minister Kuleba. Defense Minister Taran has spoken with Defense Secretary Austin. Head of the Presidential Office Yermak spoke to National Security Advisor Sullivan. Other senior officials will connect in the near future. And every day at Embassy Kyiv we are working together with our Ukrainian counterparts on our common priorities,” she explained.
Behnke noted that both the White House and Secretary of State Blinken have repeatedly stressed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The Secretary made a very strong statement supporting Ukraine on the 7th anniversary of the purported annexation of Crimea. He made a special video to underline his personal commitment. The Biden administration has wholeheartedly welcomed Ukraine’s Crimean Platform initiative,” she added.
“Meanwhile, our security and development assistance continues unabated. To give a concrete example, we announced another tranche of $125 million in security assistance on March 5,” Behnke said.
The United States will continue to work with Ukraine on a wide range of common interests, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has said.
“As President Biden’s administration has affirmed, the United States remains committed to Ukraine as one of our closest partners and friends, and we continue to work together across the full range of our extensive mutual interest,” Kvien said in a video statement at Kyiv Security Forum hosted by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation on Wednesday.
According to U.S. Charge d’Affaires, today it can be recognized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced challenges on the way to resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine and fighting corruption, which causes “a significant obstacle to inclusive economic growth and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”
“On fight against corruption, we have witnessed persistent attacks by vested interests who seek to undermine the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine’s anticorruption infrastructure, and an effort to avoid accountability for their corrupt behavior,” the diplomat said.
Kvien commended the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption in the first reading of the reform of the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as Zelensky’s commitment to conduct a comprehensive judicial reform, which is a very necessary step to reduce corruption in Ukraine.
She said the main directions of the U.S. policy towards Ukraine have broad bipartisan support in Washington. “United States should, in coordination with international financial institutions, EU and G7 continue to provide assistance to help Ukraine build modern democratic economy that is fully compatible with EU standards and norms. That assistance should be linked to effective reform measures,” the U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine said.
She recalled that since 2014, the United States has provided assistance to Ukraine totaling $4.5 billion and pledged that the United States will continue to provide this assistance to advance reforms and strengthen security.
Kvien said the new U.S. leadership is actively supporting Ukraine, as discussed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. She also said that recently it was announced that Ihor Kolomoisky was included in the sanctions list.
