Biden lands in Geneva for tense summit with Putin

Geneva: US President Joe Biden landed in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden is arriving after a series of intense meetings with international allies from the G7, NATO and the EU.

Biden has sought to reassure allies shunned by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that the US is indeed a strong and reliable partner. Part of this has been a concerted US effort to confer with allies about concerns with Russia before Biden's meeting with Putin on Wednesday.

Biden consults allies on Russia

Heading into the summit, Biden has pointed to the backing of his western partners. Among other things, the US and EU agreed to set up "high-level dialogue" on Russia as part of "a renewed trans-Atlantic partnership'' between the US and the 27-member bloc.

At NATO in Brussels on Monday, experts warned that Russian troop build-ups at the edge of eastern Europe "increasingly threaten the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and contribute to instability along NATO borders and beyond."

Biden said, "I'm not looking for conflict with Russia, but ... we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities."