Today’s the day—Biden’s likely less-than-friendly 4-5 hour mtg with Putin in Geneva.
@Potus, who’s having breakfast here at InterContinental hotel this a.m., has list of things he wants to talk about, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Navalny, cyber. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Putin’s plane has left Moscow and is scheduled to land in Geneva pretty much on time at 12:30p local time for his meeting with Biden.
“I hope our meeting will be productive,” the Russian leader said.
Putin, via translator: "I'd like to thank you for the initiative to meet today.”
“Still, the US and Russian relations have a lot of issues … that requires collaborating and I hope that our meeting will be productive.”
The 1st session of Biden and Putin’s private meetings started at 1:44p in Geneva and ended at 3:17p, per White House. The small meeting was Biden, Putin, Blinken, Lavrov and two interpreters.
ALERT at US Capitol: “The external security threat located at all of the US Capitol Campus Buildings continues, and there is still no entry or exit permitted at this time. You may move about within the buildings and underground between buildings.
If you are outside, seek cover.”
White House isn’t under elevated security restrictions as Capitol lockdown continues. All is normal here at 1600 Penn, but there’s no POTUS here—Biden is away at Camp David.
President Biden landed at Camp David at 12:53p, shortly before Capitol incident. White House aides with the president are Bruce Reed, Yohannes Abraham, Anthony Bernal and Stephen Goepfert.
At meeting with Chinese delegation in Alaska, @SecBlinken says US intends to discuss cyber attacks, Xinjiang, Hong Hong, Taiwan. Blinken criticizes China for taking some actions that “threaten the rule based order that maintain global stability.”
"We do not seek conflict,” Biden national security adviser @JakeSullivan46 tells the Chinese delegation at meeting in Alaska, “but we welcome stiff competition."
US and China bear great resposibility in world’s stability and peace, Yang Jiechi, a top Chinese diplomat, tells @JakeSullivan46 and @SecBlinken. He says US has American style democracy; China has its own style of democracy. But both share interest in climate, economic recovery.
Biden must apologize and take back “boorish” allegations that Putin is a killer, top Russian official says, per @tonyhalpin.
Summoning their ambassador from the US “won’t be the last, unless there is an explanation and an apology from the American side.” bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
"It takes one to know one," Putin says of Biden's comment agreeing that Putin is a "killer." per @business
🚨 “I would say to him: I wish you good health,” Putin says of Biden after the US president agreed that the Russian president is a "killer."
Biden's inauguration speech will last 20 to 30 minutes. Theme is “unity,” his aides say.
Trump in his farewell speech will say: “I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.
“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish.”
“Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning,” Trump will say in farewell speech.
NEW: White House sends invitations for Trump’s departure event at Joint Base Andrews—starts at 8a Wednesday.
Guests must arrive between 6a and 7:15a; may bring up to five other people; and must wear mask, the invites say, according to one shared with me by an ex Trump official.
Trump’s “ceremony” is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the military base where the outgoing president will make his final departure aboard Air Force One.
He’ll be 1st living US president in more than a century to choose not to attend regular exchange of power.