Working Paper - AFTER PUTIN, BIDEN IS SEEKING ONE-TO-ONE WITH XI
Foreword
At the end of the face-to-face meeting in Geneva between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, Putin had the last word by quoting Tolstoy : "There's no happiness in life, only a mirage of it on the horizon."
Putin has seen off Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, all of whom wanted a "reset" with Russia. Putin is still here and, if anything, is more powerful at home and abroad. He has revived Russian pride and influence in the world.