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Putin-Biden meeting in Geneva

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Work on program of Russia-US summit in Geneva is in progress, Kremlin aide says

When asked whether the issue of the return of Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov and US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will be raised, Yuri Ushakov said, "Too early to say now"

Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Work on the program of the Russia-US summit in Geneva is underway, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday.

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"I cannot talk about the details as long as the work on the program is in progress," he said, responding to a question from TASS about whether it is planned to sign any documents following the Putin-Biden meeting.

When asked whether the issue of the return of Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to the US and US Ambassador John Sullivan to Russia will be raised, Ushakov said, "It is too early to say now."

Earlier, both the Kremlin and the White House said that the Putin-Biden summit would take place in Geneva on June 16. According to the Kremlin press service, the two presidents will discuss the current state of Russian-US relations and their prospects for development, strategic stability, as well as current issues of the international agenda, including cooperation in combating the coronavirus pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts. It will be the first personal meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office.

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, Antonov’s and Sullivan’s participation in the Geneva summit has not been ruled out, but no final decision has been made so far. "I cannot rule out anything, but I repeat that there is no decision given that the format has not been agreed on," Ryabkov said on Tuesday answering a question from TASS.

Antonov was invited to the Russian capital for consultations after Biden’s notorious interview, in which he said that the Russian leadership would have to "pay a price" for Moscow’s alleged attempts to meddle in US elections. In addition, when asked whether he considered Putin to be "a killer", Biden answered in the affirmative. The Russian ambassador has been in Moscow since March 21, while Sullivan returned to Washington, DC, on April 22.

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