Expectations regarding the summit between U.S. President Joseph Biden and Russian Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16 were set quite low (see EDM, June 14, 17), but the media hype was considerable—and both suited the Russian leader just fine. Putin enjoyed being at the center of global political attention and did not have to do much to earn that position. Russian pundits duly praised the tense face-to-face as a great success, focusing on the presumed confirmation of Russia’s status as a world power on par with the United States (Moskovsky Komsomolets, June 16). Putin modestly refrained from describing the meeting as a triumph and opted to complement Biden’s performance and professionalism, thus contradicting the prevalent Russian propaganda discourse that routinely accuses his counterpart of feebleness (Kommersant, June 18).
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Pavel Baev: Putin’s satisfaction with summit will not last
A security officer indicates to the media to step back as (From L) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US President Joe Biden, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva on June 16, 2021.
