UN Office in Geneva Says Ready to Provide Platform for Russia-US Summit, If Requested

GENEVA (Sputnik) - The UN Office in Geneva (UNOG) is ready to provide a platform for the Russia-US summit, if such a request is received from the parties, the office's spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told Sputnik.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, are scheduled to meet in person in Geneva on June 16. The meeting between the two leaders has been discussed by Moscow and Washington for several months.

"UNOG is very satisfied that the presidential summit is taking place in Geneva. This confirms the role of Geneva as a venue of choice for high-level international events. Of course, if requested, we stand ready to do everything to support it," she said.

The two presidents will concentrate on the most critical issues surrounding bilateral ties, according to a White House statement released earlier in the day.

US-Russia relations have experienced tensions recently amid allegations of cyberattacks and accusations of hostile acts against US interests. As part of another round of sanctions against Moscow, the Biden administration recently expelled 10 Russian diplomats from the United States and imposed sanctions on 32 Russian entities and individuals.

The accusations have been refuted by Moscow, which claims that the current US sanctions contradict the US administration's rhetoric that it wants a stable relationship with Russia.

On January 26, shortly after Biden's inauguration, the two leaders spoke on the phone for the first time. During that talk, they reached an agreement on the New START Treaty, which was extended in February for five years and is now set to end in February 2026. The treaty stands as the only remaining arms control agreement still in place between the two nuclear powers.