MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States will first hold a private meeting during their summit in Geneva and then participate in extended talks, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters, adding that the two leaders would also have a chance to hold a one-on-one meeting if they wish to do so. He confirmed that the Russian president planned to arrive in Geneva on the very day of the summit, June 16.
"The talks are expected to consist of three parts. First, there will be a private conversation, which will be followed by extended talks that will have a continuation. So, first, there will be a private meeting, then extended talks, then a brief tea and coffee break, and then talks will continue," Ushakov specified.
According to him, the private meeting will involve Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart Antony Blinken, as well as interpreters. The extended talks will be held with simultaneous interpretation.
When asked if the two leaders could hold a one-on-one meeting, Ushakov noted: "I don’t know what the presidents will decide, it is up to them." He pointed out that one-on-one conversations had taken place at previous Russia-US summits, as well as at meetings between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States in the past.
In response to a question about anti-coronavirus measures, Ushakov stressed that very serious security measures were being taken, "particularly in terms of protecting the health of the presidents, both Russia and the US take it very seriously." According to Ushakov, talks will be held in quite a small room, and there are some requirements for the delegations concerning PCR coronavirus tests. However, he did not provide any details. The medical aspect is a focus of increased attention, the Kremlin aide noted.
Ushakov added that the parties would arrange separate press conferences for their presidents after the talks, "and this is where the summit will end." He answered in the affirmative when asked if there were plans concerning the duration of talks but declined to provide any details. "Everything depends on how discussions will go and what the mood of the presidents will be like, some issues may take longer to discuss than we expect. For now, it would be nonsense to even talk about [a timeframe], but there is a schedule," the Russian presidential aide said.