Joe Biden warns Putin to ensure Navalny lives; gifts him Aviators while throwing shade

United States President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time since Biden has been elected as US President. In a press conference after the meeting, Biden said that the goal of the summit was to have a stable relationship between the two nations. He called the tone of the meeting "good" and "positive". Biden noted that there were no "threats" during today's summit. Biden told reporters that he raised the issue of imprisonment of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed in his meeting with Putin and he is going to follow it through discussion. On an aside from the serious issues and differences discussed by the two who have not been kind about each other in the past, Biden did gift Putin a pair of the same kind of 'Aviator' sunglasses he has made his own, and also a crystal figurine of an American Bison.

Biden's press conference after meeting with Putin

Biden said that he and Putin share a unique responsibility to manage the relationship between two powerful nations. He added that the relationship has to be stable. He said that the US and Russia will launch a bilateral strategic dialogue on issues like arms control. The US President said that he told Putin he is not against Russia or against anyone else but for the American people. He added that he does not have a problem with Russian business. He made it clear that they will continue to raise human rights issues, like cases of Navalny. Biden pointed out that if Navalny dies in prison, the consequences of that will be devastating for Russia. 

In a press conference after the meeting, Biden told reporters that they discussed the issue of cybersecurity. Talking about Russian interference in US elections, Biden said that his Russian counterpart knows the consequences. He said that Putin "knows I will take action" in working to stop Russia from interference in US elections, the ransomware attacks on US companies. He added that in addition to action from the US, Putin's credibility worldwide shrinks with such activity. It diminishes the image of a country that strives to be a superpower. Biden said that he gave the Russian president a list of 16 critical infrastructure entities that should be off-limits for attacks, whether cyber or otherwise.

Biden said that he does not think that his Russian counterpart wants a new Cold War. He said that Russia's economy is shrinking, and I don't think Putin is looking for a Cold war with the US. On Putin's comparison between jailing of political opponents, like Alexei Navalny, to the charges filed against those who carried out the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Biden responded that "I think that's a ridiculous comparison".