Biden to hold solo press conference after Putin meeting – White House
U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a solo press conference after his meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin next week as that is the most appropriate format to clearly communicate with the "free press", a White House official said on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Biden will meet Russian President Putin on June 16 in an 18th-century Swiss villa overlooking Lake Geneva for a summit that will cover strategic nuclear stability and the deteriorating relationship between the Kremlin and the West.
"We expect this meeting to be candid and straightforward," a White House official said.
"A solo press conference is the appropriate format to clearly communicate with the free press the topics that were raised in the meeting — both in terms of areas where we may agree and in areas where we have significant concerns."
The White House has said Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's "aggression against Ukraine, the jailing of dissidents" and other issues that have irritated the relationship.
Biden has said that the United States is not seeking a conflict with Russia, but that Washington will respond in a robust way if Moscow engages in harmful activities.
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