Putin Emphasizes Summit with Biden Needs To Reestablish Contact

June 13, 2021 (EIRNS)—In an interview earlier today on the “Moscow.Kremlin.Putin.” broadcast on Rossiya-1 TV channel, host Pavel Zarubin asked Russian President Vladimir Putin about his expectations of the June 16 summit with Biden. The President replied that there are areas of mutual interest, such as strategic stability, the topic of regional conflicts, and economic cooperation. He emphasized that

“[It is necessary] to restore our personal contacts and relations, establish a direct dialogue and create really functioning mechanisms of interaction in the areas of mutual interest.... If we create mechanisms of work in all these areas after this meeting, it seems to me that it would be good. It could be said that the meeting will not have been in vain,”

reported TASS.

He also stressed that there could be increased economic cooperation, “Many American companies want to operate in Russia but they are being pulled by the ears from our market and they are ceding their place to rivals. Does this benefit the U.S. economy?”

He also warned that Russians and the world ought not misunderstand the diminishing negative rhetoric as the summit approaches, saying: “In the run-up to summit meetings, both sides always try to reduce some negative rhetoric to create the corresponding favorable atmosphere for work. There is nothing special in that. I would not be misled on this issue.”

In related news, Sputnik reported that former President Donald Trump sent well-wishes to Biden regarding the summit, warning him to not fall asleep during his meeting with Putin.