Biden and Putin to meet in Geneva next month

Washington — President Biden will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, the White House said Tuesday.

Next month’s summit between the two leaders will be their first in-person gathering since Mr. Biden took office and comes as tensions between the U.S. and Russia have escalated. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Mr. Biden and Putin will “discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.-Russia relationship.”

In a phone call with Putin last month, Mr. Biden proposed their face-to-face session take place in a third country.

Since taking office, Mr. Biden has announced a series of actions against Russia in response to a range of issues, including the sweeping SolarWinds cyber breach, interference in the 2020 election and the buildup of Russian troops near the border in eastern Ukraine. Last month, the president announced sanctions targeting 32 Russian entities and individuals, including 10 officials who were expelled from the U.S. 

The Kremlin took its own retaliatory measures against the U.S., expelling 10 American diplomats and banning eight current and former U.S. officials from Russia, including Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.