Biden-Putin summit highlights: 'I did what I came to do,' Biden said

Following Putin's preser, Biden delivered his readout on the meeting in a solo news conference from outside his hotel in Geneva.

He started with a joke about that chaotic photo op earlier, in which Russian security pushed American reporters, before reading from prepared remarks giving his take on the summit following at the end of his week abroad.

"I've just finished the -- the last meeting of this week's long trip, the U.S.-Russian summit. And I know there were a lot of hype around this meeting, but it's pretty straightforward to me," Biden said, that "there's no substitute ... for face-to-face dialogue between leaders, none."

"President Putin and I -- share a unique responsibility to manage the relationship between two powerful and proud countries, a relationship that has to be stable and predictable," he continued. "We should be able to cooperate where it's in our mutual interest. And where we have differences, I wanted President Putin to understand why I say what I say, and why I do what I do, and how we'll respond to specific kinds of actions that harm America's interest."

Biden said he told Putin that his agenda isn't "against Russia or anyone else" but "for the American people."

While Putin defended Russia on several matters in his news conference, he called the summit with Biden "very efficient, substantive" and offered his fresh impression of the American president to reporters.

"He is very balanced, professional man," Putin said. "He's very experienced. He talked a bit about his family and what his mother told him. They are important things -- maybe they're not quite relevant -- but it does talk about the level of his moral values, which is very attractive," he said.

"And it seems to me that we did speak the same language. Certainly doesn’t imply that we must look into each other’s eyes and find a soul," Putin said, seeming to refer to a past comment from Biden, who says he looked Putin in the eye during a visit to the Kremlin in 2011 and told him he had no soul, a moment Putin said he doesn't remember.

"But essentially, our talks were pragmatic," he said.

ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed Putin directly on the fate of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navlany.

"The list of your political opponents who are dead, imprisoned, or jailed is long. Alexey Navalny’s organization calls for free and fair elections, an end to corruption. But Russia has outlawed that organization, calling it extremist. And you have now prevented anyone who supports him to run for office," Scott said. "So my question is, Mr. President, what are you so afraid of?"

Putin responded by bringing up the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and finished by saying, "And fears, I don't want to talk about that. That's absolutely irrelevant."

"You didn't answer my question, sir," Scott said. "If all of your political opponents are dead, in prison or poisoned, doesn't that send a message that you do not want a fair political fight?"

Putin again raised the U.S. insurrection, noting that 400 people were arrested.

"As for who is killing whom and throwing whom in jail, people came to the U.S. Congress with political demands," Putin said. "They face prison sentences of up to 20, maybe even 25 years."

"They are being called 'domestic terrorists.' They are being accused of a number of other crimes," he added, deflecting from Navalny whom he refuses to call by name.

After the summit, Putin was the first of the two leaders to hold a solo press conference.

He said there was "no hostility" between himself and Biden and called their talks "quite constructive" with both sides seeking "common ground," according to a translator.

"I think that both of these sides showed a willingness to understand one another and to find ways to bring our positions closer together," he said through a translator.

Putin said the leaders agreed on the "return of American ambassadors to Moscow and our ambassador to Washington," and regarding cybersecurity, said, "We agreed that we would begin consultations in this respect."

When a reporter asked a question in English about jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navlany, Putin first laughed, took out his earpiece and claimed he didn't hear what was asked through the translator, before saying he believes Nalvalny "wanted to consciously break the law."

"This man knew he was breaking the laws of Russia. He has been twice convicted," Putin said, refusing to call him by name but instead refer to him as, "the citizen whom you have just mentioned."