The Summit That Would Set Out the Course of the Decade: The Biden-Putin 16 June 2021 Geneva Summit

Scheduled, at last!  Although long-awaited, the timing at which the Biden-Putin first presidential summit has been arranged is impeccable indeed. This is precisely the kind of news the world is in desperate need to hear, as a plethora of bilateral, regional, and global issues have been pending for quite sometime. In other words, the entire mise-en scène of the international stage provides a multitude of quid pro quo exchanges (i.e. a conditio sine qua non for the cultivation of a partnership on the basis of interest-driven [with emphasis] coordinated collaboration) for the United States and the Russian Federation.

Since its announcement, Tuesday 25 May 2021, both the Kremlin and the White House made it clear that the two presidents mean business.

What one finds most refreshing about this presidential summit is, that it appears to be taking place under the patronage of Sophie—i.e. wisdom. For before it’s held, the official statements affirmed that Presidents Biden and Putin intend to conduct themselves as philosophers: cognizant of their differences, of mutual as well as particular interests, and the exigent need for them to work together. 

 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki clarified,

“So we don’t regard the meeting with the Russian President as a reward; we regard it as a vital part of defending America’s interests. 

And President Biden is meeting with Vladimir Putin because of our country’s differences, not in spite of them.  It’s an opportunity to raise concerns where we have them and, again, to move toward a more stable and predictable relationship with the Russian government.” (The White House)

In similar vein, the Kremlin stated,

“The two presidents will discuss the current status of and prospects for bilateral relations, strategic stability problems, as well as current issues on the international agenda, including cooperation in countering the coronavirus pandemic and settlement of regional conflicts.” (“Presidents Of Russia And the United States Will Meet In Geneva On June 16”)

Moreover, the changed tone in the American narrative gives the spectator a well-founded reason to breathe a sigh of relief [refer to “A Lesson to Learn from JFK,” to understand the crucial impact such a change would have on U.S.-Russian relations]; which President Putin has welcomed as positive and ‘conciliatory’ (Vladimir Putin). Hence, it is safe to assume that the two countries are now tuned to the same frequency.

What are we to expect out of the summit?

Perspicuously, there are certain regional and international issues of paramount significance to the strategic interests of both parties. 

Starting with Ukraine, the two presidents are likely to agree that it is absolutely crucial that the Ukrainian President, Zelensky, must be dissuaded from taking Saakashvili’s path; and, further be persuaded to end his ‘anti-Russian’ witch-hunt. 

 

 

With respect to Iran’s nuclear program, it is no secret that the Russo-Iranian honeymoon in Syria had come to an end, for a while now. Though the two countries remain on good terms, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the Russian Federation doesn’t recognize Iran as a fully-fledged ally in the region. What the two countries actually have is a form of cautious limited partnership, in which one is naturally inclined to keep a close eye on their partner.

Having that said, both superpowers share the same strategic interest regarding that issue: placing the Iranian nuclear program in check. Securing that, would be recorded as a shared win for the United States and Russia; and, would further evince that the two countries are prudent enough to acknowledge the fact that the world needs their cooperation in managing its vital affairs—notwithstanding their inherent differences and points of contention.

 

 

Chinese ever-growing presence (namely via FDIs) and influence in Africa will surely be discussed at length—especially now that China has solidified her status as a superpower, after it caught up with the US and Russia in the race for space. [see “Congratulations China! Officially a ‘Superpower’”]

 

 

As for the fight against the coronavirus, the presidents shall indubitably negotiate and mitigate the politics circulating vaccine-authorization. The mutually sought end here is to expedite worldwide vaccination; which in turn will ‘hopefully’ curb—or, at least, slow down to a manageable pace—the virus evolution i.e. its auto-modification of its own genetic blueprint, producing new variants.  

 

 

Eyes will also be on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica.

Antarctica’s geopolitical significance is unparalleled for the trilateral superpower rivalry, given that the near future of mankind—as well as that of intelligence and military capabilities—is vitally dependent on the frozen continent. [refer to “From Space to COVID-19: the Two Superpowers +1[The Antarctic Age],” for more details on Antarctica’s strategic importance]

The Syrian situation—and so the entire configuration in the Middle East—might be touched on tangentially. The premise that Syria falls within Russia’s sphere of influence is gradually transforming into a fait accompli. Russia is a country that places the concept of ‘spheres of influence’ at the heart of its foreign policy. For instance, it demonstrated explicit recognition of and total respect to American influence vis-á-vis the mediation of a cease-fire betwixt the antagonists of the recent Gaza war. That is, it has shown utmost regard and acknowledgement to the fact that the US has a sway when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most probably, President Biden will reciprocate the respect.

The presidents will definitely discuss the recent rapid growth of Saudi’s influence as a major player in the region; and, how that would (or, should) change the balance-of-power politics in the Middle East—whilst taking into account Turkish, Iranian, and Israeli interests—mainly, within the context of the Syrian crisis. 

In conclusion, the summit presents a great opportunity for a reset, ‘perezagruzka’, that would dispose of the overload, ‘peregruzka’, of pending and protracted issues. And, by reset, our aspirations extend to the outermost bounds of good will and pragmatism to land on the periphery of a possible thriving cooperation between ‘equals’. 

The question remains: will President Biden manage to bring republicans to fold, and actually get them to stop flashing the ‘Russia the boogeyman’-card for partisan score-settling purposes?

 

As always,

God speed Presidents Biden & Putin!

 

Reference

Presidents Of Russia And the United States Will Meet In Geneva On June 16. en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65655. 

United States, Office of the Press Secretary. “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki.” The White House, 25 May 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/05/25/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-may-25-2021/ 

Vladimir Putin. On June 16 Vladimir Putin will meet with Joe Biden in Geneva. Facebook, 25 May 2021, 10:02 p.m, https://www.facebook.com/for.vladimir.putin/ Accessed 26 May 2021.

“White House Press Secretary Holds Briefing.” C-SPAN.org, www.c-span.org/video/?512066-1/white-house-press-secretary-holds-briefing.