Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden will meet in Geneva, Switzerland on 16 June, the Kremlin and White House confirmed on Tuesday.
"In accordance with the agreement reached, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with US President Joseph Biden in Geneva on June 16," the statement released by the Kremlin says.
According to the White House statement, the two presidents will focus on the most important issues concerning bilateral relations.
BREAKING: President Biden will meet with President Putin in Geneva, Switzerland on June 16, White House says:
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 25, 2021
"The leaders will discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.-Russia relationship." pic.twitter.com/3jzjwPON6l
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis confirmed the meeting between Biden and Putin on 16 June in Geneva and noted that his country was committed to dialogue and diplomacy.
Delighted that we can offer our good offices to the #UnitedStates 🇺🇸 & #Russia 🇷🇺 👉 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. @POTUS and President Vladimir Putin @KremlinRussia_E will meet in #Geneva on June 16. #Switzerland 🇨🇭 is committed to dialogue 👥 and diplomacy 🤝 #GenevaSummit
— Ignazio Cassis (@ignaziocassis) May 25, 2021
Biden is scheduled to attend a NATO summit in Brussels on 14 June and will also visit the UK.
Earlier this month, the US President said that he is going to discuss with Putin the recent cyberattack against Colonial Pipeline, which caused fuel shortages along the US East Coast. Washington noted that Moscow bears "some responsibility" for the hackers collective named DarkSide who operating from Russian territory. At the same time, the Kremlin said that Moscow had nothing to do with the hacker group’s attacks.
The Biden administration recently expelled 10 Russian diplomats from the United States and imposed sanctions on 32 Russian entities and individuals as part of a new round of sanctions over Moscow's alleged cyberattacks and other hostile acts against US interests.
Moscow has denied the allegations and said the latest US sanctions run contrary to the US administration's rhetoric that it seeks a stable relationship with Russia.
Putin and Biden talked by phone for the first time on 26 January, shortly after Biden’s inauguration. They reached an agreement on the New START Treaty at that time, signing extensions in February.
The treaty, now set to expire on 5 February 2026, is the only arms control agreement between two countries that is still in force.
