Biden and Putin agree to steps on cybersecurity and arms control

Biden and Putin agree to steps on cybersecurity and arms control.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first meeting since Biden took office in January 2021.

Both sides agreed on Wednesday to begin cybersecurity and arms control talks at the summit.

Biden and Putin agree to steps on cybersecurity and arms control

However, that also highlighted their discord on many issues such as human rights and Ukraine.

Biden asked Putin how he would feel if a ransomware attack hit Russia’s oil network.

Analysts noted that a pointed question making reference to the May shutdown of a pipeline that caused disruptions and panic-buying along the U.S. East Coast.

While Biden stressed that he did not make threats during the three-hour meeting, he said he outlined U.S. interests.

Those interests include: cybersecurity as well.

According to Reuters report, he made clear to Putin that the United States would respond if Russia infringed on those concerns.

Both men used careful pleasantries to describe their talks in a lakeside Swiss villa, with Putin calling them constructive and without hostility and Biden saying there was no substitute for face-to-face discussions.

They also agreed to send their ambassadors back to each other’s capitals. Russia recalled its envoy after Biden said in March that he thought Putin was a “killer.” The United States recalled its ambassador soon after.

Putin said on Wednesday that he had been satisfied by Biden’s explanation of the remark.

GTV