Biden looking to build momentum for Putin meeting
District of Columbia, International | June 15, 2021
President Biden is looking to build momentum heading into a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Biden has spent the last few days rallying allies in the Group of Seven (G-7) and NATO around the need to confront Russia and meeting privately with foreign leaders to gauge how he should approach his one-on-one with Putin.
The communique signed by G-7 leaders specifically called out Russia’s use of chemical weapons on its own soil, its aggression toward Ukraine and its crackdown on dissent. Biden raised Russia in each of his pull-aside meetings with fellow NATO leaders at Monday’s summit, and he has worked to carefully manage expectations for what can come out of the Putin meeting.
“I shared with our allies what I’ll convey to President Putin: That I’m not looking for conflict with Russia, but that we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities and that we will not fail to defend the trans-Atlantic alliance or stand up for democratic values,” Biden said at a press conference on Monday, warning that Moscow is seeking to “drive a wedge” among NATO members….
(Excerpts from the The Hill)