US-Russia Summit: The return of diplomacy Daily News (via HT Media Ltd.) As the US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up their bilateral summit in Geneva on June 16 addressing separate press conferences after a three-and-a-half hour discussion, there was a clear shift to a sedate, measured tone on both sides. Biden went so far as to say that there was a ‘genuine prospect to significantly improve relations between our two countries.’ While this does not mean a miraculous turnaround that would end all confrontation in the US-Russia relationship, it does signal progress in returning to discussions that are pragmatic, open, and realist in nature. For a relationship marked by bitter disagreements that had continued to touch ‘new lows’ every few months since 2014, this, in itself, is a major achievement.