🤫 Inside the room with Putin

Plus: Sully's flight path to ambassador | Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Tyson Foods   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene and Hans Nichols ·Jun 15, 2021 🇨🇭 Welcome back to Sneak. President Biden is sleeping in a hilltop hotel overlooking the French Alps and Jet d'Eau fountain in Lake Geneva before his summit with President Putin. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,496 words ... 5.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: First person — What I learned in the room with Vladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: Glen Johnson/State Department/Public Domain   "I had the rare opportunity to watch Vladimir Putin in action," Axios' Glen Johnson writes in a first-person account drawing on his four-year stint serving as a senior communications aide to former Secretary of State John Kerry. Driving the news: If past experience is a guide, President Biden's arrival may be the last thing he fully controls when he and his Russian counterpart meet tomorrow for their summit in Geneva. The big picture: Russia's president has spent years fine-tuning an array of tactics aimed at putting U.S. leaders on the defensive and in response mode — and his timing, baiting techniques and postgame spin all may be on display. How it works: Putin is famous for trying to assert his authority by showing up late and then airing his nation's grievances. Biden has been counseled not to fall for Putin's trap. Glen writes: In my book on diplomacy, "Window Seat on the World," I detailed one of Putin's prime tactics: Icing his guests so the former KGB officer can throw them off their game. Kerry toured St. Peter's Square and sat in his hotel room while waiting hours for Putin to receive him. Another way Putin instantly puts American counterparts on the defensive is to air grievances — including over a perceived lack of respect for 8 million Russian soldiers killed fighting the Nazis in World War II. Behind the scenes: Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be inside the room. They'll speak only if the two heads of state call on them. Lavrov is an inscrutable character who disarms his guests with his fluent English — honed while serving at the United Nations for a decade — and expressionless, bespectacled face. Be smart: Challenges dealing with Putin don't end when the summit concludes. Afterward, the Russians have no approval process for their public commentary. Putin tells the press what he desires. Biden is more likely to seek feedback from Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and White House press secretary Jen Psaki before addressing the press. Sometimes the Defense Department and CIA also are first consulted about a meeting development. The bottom line: It was Biden's choice not to reward or amplify Putin with a joint news conference. Instead, Putin will go first — delivering Russia's preferred storyline to international media. Biden could be left playing catch-up unless he can beat Putin at his own game. Keep reading.     2. Progressives have Biden's back on Russia Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images   House progressives have a message for Biden ahead of his meeting with Putin: talking is good. Driving the news: Fifteen members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are writing to Biden tomorrow to encourage him to work with Putin on a range of issues, from arms control to climate change, Axios' Hans Nichols has learned. "In these talks, we hope that you will prioritize ways that the United States and Russia can work together to reduce tensions in areas of dispute and cooperate on areas of global importance," wrote Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the CPC chairperson, and 14 others. "The U.S. and Russia combined hold more than 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. We believe that armed conflict between Russia and the United States would be a catastrophe for both countries, for Europe, our allies, and for the world." Why it matters: The Democratic Party, including many of its progressive members, spent the Trump years arguing for a more assertive approach toward Russia. They criticized Donald Trump for not dealing with President Putin more harshly, amid allegations the former president had been co-opted by his counterpart. The CPC letter indicates some Democrats want to revert to a foreign policy that seeks to engage — and not antagonize — Russia. Keep reading.     3. By the numbers: U.S.-Russia summits Data: U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios The number of meetings between U.S. and Russian presidents has dwindled in recent years, according to State Department data reviewed by Axios' Stef Kight. Why it matters: Any get-together is momentous if only for the participants. U.S. presidents have met with Russian dictators during World War II. The nations' leaders have signed arms deals, discussed Ukraine and reports of election interference by Russia in U.S. elections. What to watch: President Biden has studied up for the summit, meeting with experts and even former Trump officials, Axios reported. The president plans to be tough with Putin but isn't overly optimistic about what can get done, according to Politico. Axios World author David Lawler notes: "All of Biden's predecessors on this list came into office hoping to improve relations with Russia. Biden's goals are more modest: to work together on the few issues, like nuclear security, where interests overlap, and to avoid crises that will cause relations to deteriorate any further."     A message from Tyson Foods Tyson Foods targets net zero emissions by 2050     Tyson Foods aims to achieve net-zero emissions globally by 2050 – an expansion of the company's current science-based target of a 30% GHG emissions reduction by 2030. The company will focus on key areas across its global operations, energy sources and supply chain to achieve. Learn more.     4. Sully's flight path to Biden ambassador Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger at a Joe Biden rally in February 2020. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images   Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's nomination to be a U.S. ambassador completes his metamorphosis from national icon to political figure, Glen also writes. Why it matters: After saving all 155 passengers and crew in the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson" plane crash, Sullenberger became a sort of Anthony Fauci of aviation: a trusted public figure with international name recognition. President Biden's nomination of Sullenberger as the U.S. representative to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization risks drawing some of the same slings and arrows that have befallen his coronavirus counterpart. Driving the news: Sully's name stood out in a list of career and political ambassadors President Biden unveiled ahead of tomorrow's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. If confirmed by the Senate, the 70-year-old retired U.S. Airways captain will represent the nation in international aviation matters at ICAO's headquarters in Montreal. What they're saying: "As an Air Line Pilots Association accident investigation committee member, (Sullenberger) participated in a National Transportation Safety Board investigation of a major airline accident, leading to improved airline procedures and training for emergency evacuation," the White House said in the nomination statement. Don't forget: Sullenberger made several campaign appearances for Biden in 2020 and cut an ad for the anti-Trump Lincoln Project weeks before the general election. The Air Force veteran said in the ad: "I knew that serving a cause greater than oneself is the highest calling. And it's in that highest calling of leadership that Donald Trump has failed us so miserably." Before aligning with Democrats during Trump's presidency, Sullenberger had spent most of his life as a Republican. The GOP had even sought unsuccessfully to recruit him to run for Congress. During the 2018 midterms, he wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece, "I have always voted as an American. And this critical Election Day, I will do so by voting for leaders committed to rebuilding our common values and not pandering to our basest impulses."     5. Ricchettis spread across administration Steve Ricchetti (center) walks to Marine One. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images   Nestled in a recent press release from the Treasury Department announcing new staff appointments was a familiar name within the White House, the son of Biden's counselor and longtime aide, Steve Ricchetti. Why it matters: J.J. Ricchetti will serve as a special assistant in Treasury's Office of Legislative Affairs. He's now the fourth immediate family member working in the Biden administration, Axios' Sarah Mucha reports. Steve Ricchetti, a former lobbyist, has an office in the White House and regularly accompanies the president to Camp David and other destinations. Daniel Ricchetti, his son, serves as senior adviser in the office of the undersecretary for arms control and international security at the State Department. Shannon Ricchetti, his daughter, is deputy associate director of the Office of the Social Secretary at the White House. The White House declined any on-the-record comment. What they're saying: White House aides cite their backgrounds to argue they're qualified for the roles and have experience equal to their predecessors, in contrast to complaints about the Trump administration. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were senior aides with large portfolios they came to with little direct experience. Kushner, for example, handled the president's Middle East policy, as well as an array of other shifting and far-reaching responsibilities. Between the lines: Daniel Ricchetti spent seven years working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before moving to the State Department. Shannon Ricchetti came to her position with years of research and event planning experience, including at the Aspen Institute. And J.J. Ricchetti is a recent college graduate, as was an Obama administration holder of the same job in Treasury's Office of Legislative Affairs. The big picture: Biden vowed to "restore and maintain public trust in government" by signing an executive order on ethics during his first day in office. It broadly received praise from White House ethics experts. Flashback: On the campaign trail, Biden promised that no one in his family would hold a job in the White House or participate in a business relationship with a foreign government. None of his direct family members serve in his administration.     6. Pic du jour Photo: Sergei Bobylev/TASS via Getty Images   Television cameras stand ready to capture the first joint image of Presidents Biden and Putin on the terrace of the Villa La Grange in Geneva.     A message from Tyson Foods Tyson Foods targets net zero emissions by 2050     Tyson Foods aims to achieve net-zero emissions globally by 2050 – an expansion of the company's current science-based target of a 30% GHG emissions reduction by 2030. The company will focus on key areas across its global operations, energy sources and supply chain to achieve. Learn more.   📬 Thanks for reading. A reminder you can sign up for email delivery of this or any of Axios' other free newsletters through this link. Like this style and format? Request access to Axios HQ The tool and templates you need for more engaging team updates.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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