Biden-Putin summit highlights: 'I did what I came to do,' Biden said
Putin called the summit in Geneva "constructive" and without "hostility."
U.S. President Joe Biden held a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday at what the leaders agree is a "low point" in the U.S.-Russia relationship.
The two men faced off inside an 18th-century Swiss villa, situated alongside a lake in the middle of Geneva's Parc de la Grange. The fifth American president to sit down with Putin, Biden has spoken with him and met him before, in 2016.
Having called Putin a "killer" and saying he's told him before he has no "soul," Biden told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega on Monday that he also recalled the Russian leader as being "bright" and "tough."
"And I have found that he is a -- as they say, when you used to play ball -- a worthy adversary," Biden said.
Highlights:
- Biden gives Putin American Bison crystal sculpture and Aviator sunglasses
- Biden departs Geneva to end 1st overseas trip as president
- Biden snaps at reporter over whether he's confident Putin will change, later apologizes
- Biden says meeting Putin not about trust but about American 'self-interest'
- Biden says he raised many issues with Putin, but did not claim he changed his behavior
- Biden lays out 3 areas where he says he succeeded
WH disputes Biden nodded when he and Putin asked whether they trust each other during 'chaotic' photo op
Biden and Putin's first -- and likely only -- photo op inside their summit was met with a chaotic scene.
According to a pool report, the chaos began outside the room with "10 minutes of a shoving match" between the U.S. and Russian security, press and delegations, with each side aiming to get inside. American reporters were first to go in but not all were let inside.
Already seated, Biden nodded while they shouted questions, including whether the two leaders can trust each other -- but the White House is already disputing that Biden was nodding yes to that.
"It was a chaotic scrum with reporters shouting over each other. @POTUS was very clearly not responding to any one question, but nodding in acknowledgment to the press generally. He said just two days ago in his presser: 'verify, then trust," White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said in a tweet.
Another reporter asked Putin if he feared imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and what he would do if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO. Putin didn't answer.
On the way out, another shoving match ensued.
"Lots of shoving and grabbing - it was extremely aggressive," one American pool reporter said. "The Russian security pulled on our clothes and shoved us as we tried to stay in the room. They eventually pushed us out the door."
Biden and Putin sit down for 1st summit meeting
Inside Villa La Grange, the high-stakes summit has officially kicked off.
Speaking to reporters briefly at the top of their first closed-door sit-down, Putin said he hoped for a "productive" meeting, and Biden said "it is always good to meet face-to-face."
While the scene was chaotic, both leaders looked comfortable. Biden, who was the first to extend his hand for a handshake earlier, sat with his legs crossed, hands in his lap and was seen smiling at several points. Putin also leaned back in his chair, as he often does.
Seated in a library before their respective country's flag and with a globe in between, the pair were joined by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first small session of the day.
Biden and Putin shake hands
Following brief remarks from Swiss President Guy Parmelin wishing them well, Biden and Putin shook hands in front of cameras, with both men grinning, before entering the summit site.
Biden and Putin's meeting is expected to last four to five hours total with multiple sessions.
First, they're taking part in a small session, joined by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, ahead of a larger working session.
Biden and Putin are also expected to hold dueling, solo press conferences following the summit.
Switzerland's president wishes Biden and Putin 'a fruitful meeting'
Swiss President Guy Parmelin wished Biden and Putin "a fruitful meeting" on Wednesday, just minutes before the two leaders sit down for their much-awaited bilateral summit in Geneva.
"On behalf of the Swiss government, I would like to welcome you to Geneva, the city of peace," Parmelin said in prepared remarks in French while welcoming them to Villa La Grange, where the meeting is taking place.
"It is an honor and a pleasure for Switzerland to host you here for this summit and, in accordance with its tradition of good offices, promote dialog and mutual understanding," he added. "I wish you both a fruitful meeting in the interest of your two countries and the world."
Biden-Putin summit: Key takeaways from their high-stakes meeting
After tight smiles and a firm handshake that made for an image both men wanted the world to see, followed by a chaotic photo op and about three-and-a-half hours of tense talks, U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged to spin their summit at dueling news conferences Wednesday.
Both men called their meeting positive, but while Biden said he raised serious concerns and warned of consequences, he did not claim he got Putin to commit to changing his behavior and the Russian leader accepted no responsibility for cyberattacks on the U.S. or for anything else.
Overall, while Putin gained a fresh presence on the world stage, Biden was under pressure to produce what's being called "deliverables" -- concrete results from how he said he would confront Putin -- and whether he made met his goal of restoring "stability" and "predictability" to the post-Trump superpower relationship, which both Biden and Putin agreed had reached a "low point."