Joe Biden refuses to meet Ukraine's Zelensky before shaking hands with Putin in Geneva

Putin-Biden meeting still unresolved, but no Zelensky for sure

A source in the administration of the US President said that Joe Biden would have a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky before the Russian-American summit, when Biden holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Putin-Biden summit is to take place on June 16 in Geneva. Washington reportedly considered an opportunity to invite the President of Ukraine prior to the talks at the upcoming summit, Axios reports. However, the White House administration subsequently refused to arrange the meeting due to Zelensky's decision to change the administration of the state-run energy company Naftogaz. The United State found that Zelensky's decision indicated Ukraine's refusal to fight corruption.

In an interview with Axios, the Ukrainian president said he was ready to meet with his US counterpart prior to the Putin-Biden summit.

According to Zelensky, he would like to have a face to face discussion with the US President since many things cannot be discussed over the phone.

Putin-Biden summit still in the works

In the meantime, the final details of the talks between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden have not been coordinated yet, Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on June 7. 

When asked whether the parties had decided the venue for the meeting between Russian and American presidents, the Kremlin spokesman replied that he would not answer in advance, but there were already “evident proposals” made.

“Well, there are a few more or less evident proposals, but I will not anticipate now. We will probably do it simultaneously with the Americans,” said Peskov.

The joint press conference between the two presidents following the talks has not been decided yet either. 

“The question is being discussed now, but for the time being it has not been confirmed. This should be a mutual decision," Peskov said adding that "in any case, the president will talk to the Kremlin pool."

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Author`s name Editorial Team
Editor Dmitry Sudakov
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