Biden says Putin meeting was 'frank,' but Russian leader deflects criticism
GENEVA — President Joe Biden traded the warm welcome of European allies Wednesday for his first sit-down as head of state with Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding nearly four hours of talks at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are arguably at their worst since the Cold War.
Noting the “hype” around the summit, Biden said he was frank about the Kremlin’s trampling of human rights and democracy. “I told President Putin my agenda is not against Russia or anyone else; it is for the American people,” Biden added at a news conference after the summit.
Biden said he raised the cases of two Americans imprisoned in Russia, along with the repression inside Moscow of several foreign media outlets.
Biden addressed Putin’s increasingly brazen
