Disagreements, low expectations as Biden, Putin meet in Geneva

Leaders are meeting in Geneva for highly anticipated summit, but in sign of strained ties, talks not expected to include any meals or joint news conference.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin face off on Wednesday in their first meeting since Biden took office with wide disagreements likely and expectations low for any breakthroughs. Both have said they hope their talks in a stately lakeside Geneva villa can lead to more stable and predictable relations, even though they remain at odds over everything from arms control and cyber-hacking to election interference and Ukraine. “We’re not expecting a big set of deliverables out of this meeting,” a senior United States official told reporters on board Air Force One as Biden flew to Geneva, saying the two are expected to talk for four or five hours starting at about 1pm (11:00 GMT).