After Putin Meeting, a Biden Trait Shows Itself Again: Stubborn Optimism

The president’s insistence on an “optimistic face” could open him up to criticism. But his allies insist it’s an essential ingredient to making progress.

GENEVA — Another American president might have been frustrated, or even angry. Moments after spending more than three hours on Wednesday across a table from President Biden at their first summit, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia delivered his usual list of grievances to reporters. He denied Russian culpability for cyberattacks targeting U.S. interests, accusing the United States of carrying out more. He said America’s human rights record was worse than his country’s. And he accused the Biden government of a military buildup near Ukraine.