US President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva last week. AP Photo
US President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva last week. AP Photo
US President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva last week. AP Photo
US President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva last week. AP Photo

For Biden and Putin, Geneva was a transit point – not the destination


  • English
  • Arabic

Last week's US-Russia summit in Geneva proceeded exactly as it had been planned by the two governments.

There were no surprises. There were no confrontations between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, either. Both leaders showed tact: they were firm on some matters and flexible on others. And hours later, they left the summit without compromising on their redlines.

Other notable achievements included a freeze on the long-running diplomatic spat between the two countries by reopening consulates and restoring ambassadors. They also agreed, in principle, on the need to reach an accord in the future to resolve disagreements.

Mr Biden left the summit being able to boast that he told Mr Putin to respect the rules. Mr Putin left the summit being able to showcase Russia as a heavyweight – a great power reminiscent of the erstwhile Soviet Union. He also portrayed himself as a key international player who meets the president of the United States on an equal footing.

In form, the summit brought together the leaders of two great powers. In practice, it was just an introductory meeting that achieved no radical shift in relations.

The leaders did not negotiate with each other – that will be the work of officials representing the two countries' ministries, if it happens – and perhaps this is the most important breakthrough at the summit. Both leaders identified each other's red lines and issues ranging from security to climate change for future working groups to negotiate on.

In short, they agreed that their conversation is to be continued. Indeed, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the room, the two leaders spent three hours working on delineating what is negotiable and what is not.

From the Russian point of view, Mr Biden had gone too far in criticising Russia's human rights issues, in particular the case of the jailed dissident Alexei Navalny in the run-up to the summit. However, the US delegation had made it clear that human rights were a much more important issue for Mr Biden than nuclear warheads.

  • US President Joe Biden holds a press conference after the US-Russia summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. AFP
    US President Joe Biden holds a press conference after the US-Russia summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. AFP
  • Journalists watch live at a nearby media centre as Mr Biden speaks. Getty Images
    Journalists watch live at a nearby media centre as Mr Biden speaks. Getty Images
  • The presidential seal is attached to the lectern ahead of Mr Biden's address. Reuters
    The presidential seal is attached to the lectern ahead of Mr Biden's address. Reuters
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists after his meeting with Mr Biden. Reuters
    Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists after his meeting with Mr Biden. Reuters
  • Journalists watch a live broadcast of Mr Putin's address. Getty Images
    Journalists watch a live broadcast of Mr Putin's address. Getty Images
  • Swiss President Guy Parmelin, right, looks on as Mr Putin shakes hands with Mr Biden. AP
    Swiss President Guy Parmelin, right, looks on as Mr Putin shakes hands with Mr Biden. AP
  • The leaders issued a rare joint statement saying "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought". AP
    The leaders issued a rare joint statement saying "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought". AP
  • The US and Russia will continue diplomatic discussions that will build on the Geneva meeting, officials said. AFP
    The US and Russia will continue diplomatic discussions that will build on the Geneva meeting, officials said. AFP
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pose for the press before the US-Russia summit. AFP
    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pose for the press before the US-Russia summit. AFP
  • Mr Biden and Mr Putin shake hands. Reuters
    Mr Biden and Mr Putin shake hands. Reuters
  • President Parmelin with the US and Russian leaders before their meeting. AFP
    President Parmelin with the US and Russian leaders before their meeting. AFP
  • Mr Putin steps down from his plane at Geneva Airport. AFP
    Mr Putin steps down from his plane at Geneva Airport. AFP
  • An armoured police vehicle sits outside Villa La Grange in Geneva, where Mr Biden and Mr Putin met. Bloomberg
    An armoured police vehicle sits outside Villa La Grange in Geneva, where Mr Biden and Mr Putin met. Bloomberg
  • Journalists throng the media tent across the street from where the leaders met. AP
    Journalists throng the media tent across the street from where the leaders met. AP
  • A worker cleans the red carpet at the summit venue. AP
    A worker cleans the red carpet at the summit venue. AP
  • A man takes a picture of Russian and US flags on the Mont-Blanc bridge in Geneva. AFP
    A man takes a picture of Russian and US flags on the Mont-Blanc bridge in Geneva. AFP
  • A news crew at work before the summit. AFP
    A news crew at work before the summit. AFP
  • A Swiss policeman patrols the grounds of the summit venue. AFP
    A Swiss policeman patrols the grounds of the summit venue. AFP
  • Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan meet at the Geneva Summit in 1985. Getty Images
    Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan meet at the Geneva Summit in 1985. Getty Images

It was clear from the get-go that, to prevent Mr Putin from seizing the initiative, the Biden administration had brilliantly choreographed the summit. It had refused to set an agenda, opposed a joint news conference and ended the meeting after only four hours, even though Moscow had sought an additional hour.

But tact is one thing and trust is another, and the summit proved the Biden administration does not trust the Kremlin. It continues to blame Moscow for what it sees as Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election that helped put Donald Trump, a Republican, in the White House by beating Mr Biden's fellow Democrat, Hillary Clinton. Nevertheless, the Biden team is keen to prevent confrontation and explore areas of mutual understanding, both bilaterally and on international issues.

The two presidents did not discuss the issue of China in depth, particularly as the Nato summit and the EU-US summit, held just days before the Geneva meeting, had already made clear the West’s position vis-a-vis the rising Asian power.

They did talk about Iran and Syria, however.

Mr Biden suggested that a return to the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran was possible – but that a deliberate ignorance of its regional behaviour was not. Mr Biden told Mr Putin the US would not lift all sanctions on Tehran until it changed its expansionist foreign policy in the Middle East.

The Biden administration is willing to lift more sanctions on Iran, especially on its oil sector, but is unwilling to lift the military embargo that would enable Iran to sign arms deals – as long as Tehran continues what the Biden administration terms as “malign” regional activities. It is worth noting, of course, that Moscow’s interests are better served if Washington lifts the military sanctions first, given the huge arms deals it hopes to conclude with Tehran.

Mr Biden, meanwhile, has made it clear that the US has no plan to relinquish its interests in Syria. He added his administration is ready to discuss the war-torn country's future on this basis. This is important, although it is yet unclear where the two sides meet on the issue.

Joey Hood, the Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, has told me that the US could strike a deal with Russia over the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria. He added that it could be the way in for the Biden administration to assert itself over the issue of that country’s political future.

“If we come together on the humanitarian aspect, maybe we may progress on the political aspect as well,” Mr Hood said. “President Putin has been very clear many times over the years that he’s not particularly dedicated to [Syrian President] Bashar [Al Assad] himself as a person, but he doesn’t want to see more chaos in Syria. I think we share that goal of not wanting to see further chaos and suffering.”

The point, according to Mr Hood, is to establish a new constitution and a new government that is truly representative of the Syrian people and then “maybe we can see ways in which Russia and American interests in Syria are both advanced through this political process”.

However, Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Russian Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, has a different view. Russia, according to him, will seek the recognition of Mr Al Assad as the legitimate leader of post-war Syria – something the US is likely to oppose.

Mr Lukyanov struck a more positive note about US-Russia relations being a matter of priority for Moscow – ahead of the Iran nuclear deal. Russia and Iran, he said, have “extensively different interests even in Syria, where they are allies”. For US-Russia relations to improve, he said, the two governments need to form working groups to review a range of issues.

I have to point out, though, that fundamental differences between the two sides stem from divergences in doctrines and systems of government. Mr Biden, it seems, seeks to be an advocate for human rights and democracy with a view to weaken theocratic and fundamentalist regimes, such as Iran’s.

How the US and Russia work around their ideological differences remains to be seen in the years to come. But the Geneva summit represents a promising resumption in their relations.

Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute and a columnist for The National

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

About Okadoc

Date started: Okadoc, 2018

Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Healthcare

Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth

Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February

Investors: Undisclosed

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20JustClean%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20with%20offices%20in%20other%20GCC%20countries%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202016%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20160%2B%20with%2021%20nationalities%20in%20eight%20cities%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20online%20laundry%20and%20cleaning%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2430m%20from%20Kuwait-based%20Faith%20Capital%20Holding%20and%20Gulf%20Investment%20Corporation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20%E2%80%93%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')

Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

A general guide to how active you are:

Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary

5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active

10,000  - 12,500 steps - active

12,500 - highly active

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

The story of Edge

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.

It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.

Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab

 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final