Putin says ‘no hostility but no breakthrough’ in summit talks with Biden

Talks between the leaders lasted several hours

Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a press conference after meeting with US President in Geneva (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the summit with US President Joe Biden in Switzerland took place with “no hostility” following talks with the American leader.

He told reporters that the meeting was pragmatic and constructive but there were no major policy breakthroughs.

Mr Putin called Mr Biden a constructive, experienced partner, and said they spoke “the same language”, but added that there had been no friendship, rather a pragmatic dialogue on about their two countries’ interests.

He said it was “hard to say” if relations with the United States would improve, but that there was a “glimpse of hope” regarding mutual trust. There were no invitations to Washington or Moscow from either leader.

Mr Putin also said Russia and the United States shared a responsibility for nuclear stability, and would hold talks on possible changes to their recently extended New START arms limitation treaty.

But he showed little appetite for compromise on a range of other issues, dismissing Washington’s concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny - although as usual he did not mention him by name - and about Russia’s increased military presence near Ukraine’s eastern border.

Mr Putin said Navalny had ignored the law and had known what would happen if he returned to Russia from Germany.

However, he said Moscow and Washington would start consultations on cybersecurity, adding that most cyber-attacks on Russia came from the United States.