For Putin, Biden summit is all about respect

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden

When Vladimir Putin meets Joe Biden for their first summit on Wednesday the Russian leader will not be looking for progress on arms control, the lifting of sanctions or even an apology for the US president saying he is a ‘killer’. Putin already got what he wanted: the summit itself. After a week of meeting allies from the G7, European Union and NATO, Biden will end his first major foreign trip with Putin in Geneva. Tensions between Moscow and Washington are at their highest in years over a long list of disputes -- from cyberattacks and election meddling to the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and designation of his organisations as ‘extremist’ groups.