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6 days ago
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What to know about past meetings between Putin and his American counterparts
What to know about past meetings between Putin and his American counterparts Bilateral meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterparts were a regular occurrence early in his 25-year tenure. But as tensions mounted between Moscow and the West following the illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and allegations of meddling with the 2016 U.S. elections, those meetings became increasingly less frequent, and their tone appeared less friendly. Here's what to know about past meetings between Russian and U.S. presidents: Putin and Joe Biden Putin and Joe Biden met only once while holding the presidency –- in Geneva in June 2021. Russia was massing troops on the border with Ukraine, where large swaths of land in the east had long been occupied by Moscow-backed forces; Washington repeatedly accused Russia of cyberattacks. The Kremlin was intensifying its domestic crackdown on dissent, jailing opposition leader Alexei Navalny months earlier and harshly suppressing protests demanding his release. Putin and Biden talked for three hours, with no breakthroughs. They exchanged expressions of mutual respect, but firmly restated their starkly different views on various issues. They spoke again via videoconference in December 2021 as tensions heightened over Ukraine. Biden threatened sanctions if Russia invaded, and Putin demanded guarantees that Kyiv wouldn't join NATO –- something Washington and its allies said was a nonstarter. Another phone call between the two came in February 2022, less than two weeks before the full-scale invasion. Then the high-level contacts stopped cold, with no publicly disclosed conversations between them since the invasion. Putin and Donald Trump Putin met Trump met six times during the American's first term -– at and on the sidelines of G20 and APEC gatherings — but most famously in Helsinki in July 2018. That's where Trump stood next to Putin and appeared to accept his insistence that Moscow had not interfered with the 2016 U.S. presidential election and openly questioned the firm finding by his own intelligence agencies. His remarks were a stark illustration of Trump's willingness to upend decades of U.S. foreign policy and rattle Western allies in service of his political concerns. 'I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,' Trump said. 'He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be.' Since Trump returned to the White House this year, he and Putin have had about a half-dozen publicly disclosed telephone conversations. Putin and Barack Obama U.S. President Barack Obama met with Putin nine times, and there were 12 more meetings with Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president in 2008-12. Putin became prime minister in a move that allowed him to reset Russia's presidential term limits and run again in 2012. Obama traveled to Russia twice — once to meet Medvedev in 2009 and again for a G20 summit 2013. Medvedev and Putin also traveled to the U.S. Under Medvedev, Moscow and Washington talked of 'resetting' Russia-U.S. relations post-Cold War and worked on arms control treaties. U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton famously presented a big 'reset' button to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting in 2009. One problem: instead of 'reset' in Russian, they used another word meaning 'overload.' After Putin returned to office in 2012, tensions rose between the two countries. The Kremlin accused the West of interfering with Russian domestic affairs, saying it fomented anti-government protests that rocked Moscow just as Putin sought reelection. The authorities cracked down on dissent and civil society, drawing international condemnation. Obama canceled his visit to Moscow in 2013 after Russia granted asylum to Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower. In 2014, the Kremlin illegally annexed Crimea and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies responded with crippling sanctions. Relations plummeted to the lowest point since the Cold War. The Kremlin's 2015 military intervention in Syria to prop up Bashar Assad further complicated ties. Putin and Obama last met in China in September 2016, on the sidelines of a G20 summit, and held talks focused on Ukraine and Syria. Putin and George W. Bush Putin and George W. Bush met 28 times during Bush's two terms, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. They hosted each other for talks and informal meetings in Russia and the U.S., met regularly on the sidelines of international summits and forums, and boasted of improving ties between onetime rivals. After the first meeting with Putin in 2001, Bush said he 'looked the man in the eye' and 'found him very straightforward and trustworthy,' getting 'a sense of his soul.' In 2002, they signed the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty -– a nuclear arms pact that significantly reduced both countries' strategic nuclear warhead arsenal. Putin was the first world leader to call Bush after the 9/11 terrorist attack, offering his condolences and support, and welcomed the U.S. military deployment on the territory of Moscow's Central Asian allies for action in Afghanistan. He has called Bush 'a decent person and a good friend,' adding that good relations with him helped find a way out of 'the most acute and conflict situations.' Putin and Bill Clinton Bill Clinton traveled to Moscow in June 2000, less than a month after Putin was inaugurated as president for the first time in a tenure that has stretched to the present day. The two had a one-on-one meeting, an informal dinner, a tour of the Kremlin from Putin, and attended a jazz concert. Their agenda included discussions on arms control, turbulence in Russia's North Caucasus region, and the situation in the Balkans. At a news conference the next day, Clinton said Russia under Putin 'has the chance to build prosperity and strength, while safeguarding that freedom and the rule of law.' The two also met in July of that same year at the G8 summit in Japan, in September — at the Millennium Summit at the U.N. headquarters in New York, and in November at the APEC summit in Brunei. In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson last year, Putin said he asked Clinton in 2000 if Russia could join NATO, and the U.S. president reportedly said it was 'interesting,' and, 'I think yes,' but later backtracked and said it 'wasn't possible at the moment.' Putin used the anecdote to illustrate his point about the West's hostility toward Russia, 'a big country with its own opinion.' 'We just realized that they are not waiting for us there, that's all. OK, fine,' he said. —— Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau contributed. Dasha Litvinova, The Associated Press
Al Jazeera
16-06-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
China's Xi Jinping meets Central Asian leaders: Why their summit matters
Chinese President Xi Jinping reached Kazakhstan on Monday to attend the second China–Central Asia Summit, a high-stakes diplomatic gathering aimed at deepening Beijing's economic and strategic ties with the region. The summit, which will be held on Tuesday in the Kazakh capital Astana, comes at a time when China is intensifying its outreach to Central Asian countries amid shifting global power alignments — and mounting tensions in neighbouring Iran, which is roiled in an escalating conflict with Israel. The summit will bring together the heads of state from all five Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — along with Xi. The Astana summit also carries symbolic weight: it is the first time that the five Central Asian nations are holding a summit in the region with the leader of another country. So, what is the importance of the China-Central Asia Summit? And is China battling both the United States and Russia for influence in the region? On Monday, Xi was greeted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other senior officials at the airport in Astana. The Astana summit follows the inaugural May 2023 China–Central Asia Summit, which was held in Xi'an, the capital city of China's Shaanxi province. Xi is expected to be in Astana from June 16 to 18 and is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Kazakhstan's leaders on Monday before the summit on June 17. At the summit, he is expected to deliver a keynote speech and 'exchange views on the achievements of the China-Central Asia mechanism, mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework, and international and regional hotspot issues,' said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. The office of Kazakhstan's president noted that both countries are 'set to further strengthen bilateral ties' and Xi will also chair 'high-level talks with President [Tokayev] focused on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership'. Tokayev, who has been in office since 2019, is a fluent Mandarin speaker and previously served as a diplomat in China. Zhao Long, a senior research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), told Al Jazeera that Central Asian countries see their partnership with China as a deep, multifaceted cooperation grounded in shared strategic and pragmatic interests. 'The alignment with China helps Central Asian states enhance their regional stability, pursue economic modernisation, and diversify their diplomatic portfolios,' said Zhao. Where Central Asia has abundant energy resources, he said, China offers vast markets, advanced technology, and infrastructure expertise. Last Friday, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a news briefing that establishing 'the China-Central Asia mechanism was a unanimous decision among China and the five Central Asian countries, which dovetails with the region's common desire to maintain stability and pursue high-quality development'. Since China first formalised and chaired the China-Central Asia Summit in May 2023, Lin said, 'China's relations with Central Asian countries have entered a new era … injecting fresh impetus into regional development and delivering tangibly for the peoples of all six countries.' 'We believe through this summit, China and five Central Asian countries will further consolidate the foundation of mutual trust,' Lin added. 'During the summit, President Xi will also meet with these leaders and lay out the top-level plan for China's relations with [the] five Central Asian countries,' said the spokesperson. SISS's Zhao said Xi's attendance at the second summit sends a clear message: 'China places high strategic importance on Central Asia.' Experts are dubbing the China-Central Asia Summit as a C5+1 framework, because of the five regional nations involved. The United States first initiated the concept of such a summit with all five Central Asian nations in 2015, under then-US President Barack Obama. But at the time, the conclave was held at the level of foreign ministers. Then-US Secretary of State John Kerry led the first meeting in September 2015 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In January 2022, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with the five Central Asian state heads, and then in June 2025, he invited them for a follow-up conclave in India. Meanwhile, in 2023, Xi hosted the leaders in Xi'an. Four months later, then-US President Joe Biden hosted the C5 state heads on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York. It was the first time a US president met with Central Asian heads of state under this framework. But current US President Donald Trump's tariff policies could upset that outreach from Washington. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have all been tariffed at 10 percent. Trump initially imposed an even higher 27 percent tariff on imports from Kazakhstan, the region's largest economy, though as with all other countries, the US president has paused these rates, limiting tariffs to a flat 10 percent for now. China has cited these tariff rates to project itself as a more reliable partner to Central Asia than the US. At the meeting with the foreign ministers of the region in April, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticised unilateralism, trade protectionism, and 'the trend of anti-globalisation [that] has severely impacted the free trade system'. The US, Wang said, was 'undermining the rule-based multilateral trading system, and destabilising the global economy'. The region, rich in uranium, oil, and rare earth metals, has become increasingly important to China as a key corridor for trade with Europe. Subsequently, China has increased its engagement with Central Asian countries. Xi, who has curtailed his foreign visits since the COVID-19 pandemic, is visiting Kazakhstan for the third time since 2020. He visited in 2022, and then again in 2024. Central Asia is also a critical part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — a network of highways, railroads and ports connecting Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America — as a gateway to Europe. Experts expect the BRI to figure prominently at the summit in Astana on Tuesday, with additional emphasis on collaboration in energy and sustainable development. A planned $8bn railway connecting China's Xinjiang region to Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan is likely to be on the agenda, the SISS's Zhao said. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in July. Expected to be completed by 2030, the railway route will provide China with more direct access to Central Asia and reduce the three countries' reliance on Russia's transport infrastructure. Additionally, Zhao said that the summit may feature agreements on reducing tariffs, streamlining customs procedures, and lowering non-tariff barriers to boost bilateral trade volumes. A lot. China is today the top trading partner of each of the five Central Asian republics. China is also ramping up its investments in the region. It has committed to an estimated $26bn in investments in Kazakhstan, for instance. It's complicated. Formerly parts of the Soviet Union, the five Central Asian republics have long belonged in Russia's strategic sphere of influence. Millions of people from the five republics live and work in Russia, and since 2023, Moscow has become a supplier of natural gas to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which have faced energy shortages — even though Central Asia was historically a supplier of energy to Russia. But though Russia remains a major economic force in the region, China has overtaken it as the largest trading partner of Central Asian republics over the past three years — a period that has coincided with Russia's war on Ukraine. Some of that increased trade, in fact, is believed to be the outcome of China using Central Asia as a conduit for exports to Russia of goods that face Western sanctions. Still, there are ways in which Russia remains the region's preeminent outside ally. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — three of the region's five nations — are part of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) — along with Russia, Armenia and Belarus. Like NATO, this bloc offers collective security guarantees to members. In effect, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have the cover of Russia's protection if they are attacked by another nation — something that China does not offer.
Bloomberg
14-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
India Prime Minister Modi to Participate in G-7 Summit in Canada
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the G-7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on June 16–17, marking his sixth consecutive appearance, the South Asian nation's foreign ministry said in a statement. He is expected to participate in talks on energy security, innovation, AI and quantum technologies, along with bilateral meetings.
Khaleej Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit UAE on June 12, meet Sheikh Mohamed
Pakistan PM Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit the UAE on Thursday, June 12, along with a high-level delegation to meet senior UAE leadership. A spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the prime minister will be accompanied by senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, federal Ministers, and other senior officials. 'Prime minister Sharif will hold high-level meetings with the UAE leadership, including a bilateral meeting with the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and concern will be discussed during the high-level interactions,' said the spokesperson. This is Sharif's second visit to the UAE this year. He visited the UAE in February 2025. Sharif last week paid a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia to boost bilateral ties and praise the Kingdom's role in de-escalating tension with India in a recent military conflict. Prior to Saudi Arabia, Sharif visited four friendly countries - Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to acknowledge their support during Pakistan's conflict with India. 'The Prime Minister's visit will serve to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE, deepen economic ties, and foster multifaceted collaboration. This visit is a manifestation of Pakistan's and UAE's shared commitment to bolstering the mutually beneficial strategic partnership, enhancing cooperation in existing areas of mutual interest, and exploring new avenues for further strengthening the bilateral cordial relations,' said the Pakistan Foreign Ministry's spokesperson.
South China Morning Post
07-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US-China trade talks round 2 in London ‘positive step' but rough road ahead: analysts
US-China trade talks in London next week would signal positive development in ties but the negotiations would not be easy, observers said. Meanwhile, Chinese state media reaction to the expected talks was muted, with commentaries reminding the US to honour its pledges while asserting Beijing's red lines. On Friday, a day after his much-anticipated phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump announced that a new round of high-level bilateral meetings were due to take place in the British capital. 'I am pleased to announce that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will be meeting in London on Monday, June 9, 2025, with Representatives of China, with reference to the Trade Deal,' Trump wrote on his social media platform. 'The meeting should go very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' During their phone conversation on Thursday – the first since Trump returned to the White House in January – the two leaders agreed to advance talks aimed at resolving trade disputes between the world's two largest economies.
