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Putin-Biden meeting in Geneva

Updated at:

No working meals planned during Putin-Biden summit in Geneva, says senior US official

The meeting may last for about four or five hours

Villa La Grange Sergei Bobylev/TASS

Villa La Grange

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

WASHINGTON, June 15. /TASS/. There are no working meals planned during the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva, a senior US official told reporters on Tuesday on board Biden’s plane en route from Brussels to Geneva.

"[There will be] no breaking of bread," the official said, quoted by the White House press pool.

According to the US official, the meeting may last for about four or five hours. Putin and Biden will begin the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken present, along with the translators. Before this meeting, reporters will be allowed to visit briefly for a pool spray.

After that, the talks will be held in an expanded format, "presidents plus five," the press pool stated, adding that the participants are not known yet and that the White House will announce them tomorrow. No reporters will be allowed for this part of this talks.

Earlier, the Kremlin and the White House announced that the much-awaited summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden would take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16. According to the Kremlin, the heads of state will discuss the conditions and prospects for further fostering Russian-US relations, strategic stability matters as well as pressing issues on the international agenda, which include cooperation in fighting the pandemic and regulating regional conflicts. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Biden since the 46th US president took office.

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Pentagon official admits US arsenals shrinking amid Ukraine, Mideast crises

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Russia monitors situation in Kursk Region after reports of ATACMS missiles — Kremlin

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Biden’s decision to allow strikes on Russia fails to unite allies around Kiev — Bloomberg

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ATACMS strikes on Bryansk Region sign West wants escalation — Lavrov

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FACTBOX: Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania resigns

The president’s resignation was supported by 28 out of 31 lawmakers who took part in the vote

Current escalation of Ukrainian conflict not seen as world war harbinger — Pentagon

Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that there have been no contacts via this new channel lately

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Russia, North Korea agree to increase number of charter flights

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According to the report, the Ukrainian military has sufficient launchers that are capable of firing them

Pentagon doesn’t see any signs that Russia prepares to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

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"By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all US citizens," Thomas Massie said

Iran ready to stop enriching uranium — Reuters

Tehran has also agreed to consider allowing four more IAEA inspectors to work in Iran, the news agency noted

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The Russian Armed Forces carried out the attack at night

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Sahra Wagenknecht underscored that the pipeline explosions were "a devastating blow to the [German] economy and an act of sabotage targeting German and European infrastructure"

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The first Russian nuclear doctrine was ratified and published by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 21, 2000

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The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

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According to Alexander Gusev, firefighters and other emergency management services are working at the scene

Up to allies to decide whether or not to authorize strikes inside Russia — NATO chief

"I would generally say let’s not communicate too much and not make our adversaries more wise than is necessary," Mark Rutte added

Russia’s renewed nuclear doctrine unlikely to alter special mil-op’s nature — senator

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According to Dmitry Suslov, retaliatory measures may include the handover of more advanced weapons to the forces "that are directly fighting against the US, particularly, in the Middle East"

FSB arrests German citizen who arrived from Poland to sabotage Russian energy facility

According to the FSB, "Nikolai Gaiduk, born in 1967, a resident of Hamburg, was detained upon arrival in the Kaliningrad Region from the Republic of Poland"

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Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

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Press review: Russian air defenses can down Western missiles as EU conducts live exercise

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, November 19th

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Ukraine admits responsibility for Odessa missile incident where civilians injured

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Pentagon refrains from commenting on Ukraine’s missile attack on Bryansk region

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Astana will work with Moscow regardless of secondary sanctions threat — ambassador

Dauren Abayev reiterated that there is a strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Russia and the two countries are close allies

Progress MS-27 fragments that survived re-entry land in Pacific — Roscosmos

The spaceship undocked from the ISS at 3:53 p.m. Moscow time (12:53 a.m. GMT) on Tuesday, brought its engines to a halt and switched to a free flight

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The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

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According to the report, CCTV cams were not installed on Christie Miller road in Salisbury

Russia’s foreign intelligence agency successfully adapting to new challenges — SVR chief

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Russian forces gain foothold in central Chasov Yar in DPR — expert

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Lavrov says West wanted to downplay Gaza crisis in G20 declaration

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Lawmaker suggest scrapping post of president in Ukraine

Alexander Dubinsky outlined a number of other initiatives as well, including the adoption of the law on foreign agents, similar to the ones currently in force in the European Union and the United States

Russia, DPRK discuss cooperation in tourism, agriculture, science

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Major-General Gholamreza Soleimani stressed it was essential to inform the world that Israel had failed and now survives solely relying on support from the United States

Ukraine’s allies doubt impact of US approval of strikes against Russia on conflict balance

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Lavrov lauds Scholz’s refusal to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine as responsible choice

The Russian foreign minister noted that the German chancellor's stance "differs from the position of the British and the French"

FACTBOX: Central Bank chief’s statement in State Duma

The national economy is in the "breaking point" and inflation slowdown can be expected in coming months

Training Ukrainian troops makes France direct participant in combat — top Russian diplomat

"The same goes for talk about using French-made SCALP missiles [in Ukraine] which are identical to the UK’s Storm Shadow," Sergey Lavrov noted

Lavrov says EU goes through deep crisis as more countries refuse to support US policies

The minister mentioned the import duties that the EU imposed on cheaper and higher-quality electric cars from China, as well as the purchases of low-quality Ukrainian grain to the detriment of its own farmers and consumers

Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

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Russian forces strike ammo plant in Ukraine’s Sumy Region in drone attack

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Russian president to visit India — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that preparations for the visit which is of a great significance for Moscow will kick off soon

Putin, Trump have ways to get in contact with each other, Kremlin says

Trump said in an interview with NBC on November 8 that he had not yet spoken to the Russian president after his election win, but allowed for such a possibility

US to keep sharing intel with Ukraine for operations against Russia — official

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Pentagon confirms that US authorized use of antipersonnel landmines in Ukraine

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Lavrov says Von der Leyen's logic about 'cheaper' US gas doesn't hold water

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Borrell condemns Russia’s decision to update nuclear doctrine

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US Embassy in Kiev announces its shutdown

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