Putin rebukes media for negative portrayal of Biden, says US president is actually ‘collected, professional & skillful'

The media image of US President Joe Biden has “nothing to do with reality,” with the American leader being a complete “professional.” That's according to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, speaking a day after the two met.

Speaking at an online conference with high school graduates, Putin complimented Biden as skillful, lively, and thoroughly knowledgeable about all subject matters, noting that he is focused on what he wants to achieve.

“The image of President Biden which the Russian and even American media paint has nothing to do with reality,” Putin explained. “Biden is a professional. You have to work with him very carefully so as not to miss anything. I can assure you, he doesn't miss a thing.”

In recent times, Russian media has presented Biden as too old for the job, with some pointing at his verbal gaffes and occasional falls and trips.

“He's collected. He understands what he wants to achieve. And he does it very skillfully. You can feel it right away,” he said.

Putin's positive comments come after Biden was generally complimentary of the Russian president, noting that he believes there is a “genuine prospect to significantly improve relations between our two countries.”

The two leaders met on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Geneva, in what was their first meeting since Biden's January inauguration. The summit was held at Villa La Grange, a historic 18th-century villa with a beautiful view of Lake Geneva. Before the start of discussions, Putin thanked his American counterpart for taking the initiative to arrange a meeting, underscoring that “Russia and US relations have a lot of issues accumulated.”

Following the encounter, the two leaders adopted a joint statement on strategic stability and agreed on their ambassadors' return and continued consultations on the future of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III).

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