Skip to main content

Does our 'supreme' leader have courage to face media as Biden, Putin did in Geneva?

Vidya Bhushan Rawat* 

Two leaders of two great nations met at a neutral venue known for its peaceful locales and absolute neutral position world over. President Joe Biden of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation came to Geneva for their first face to face meet after the United States saw a change in the government.
President Putin had in his long career as head of state of Russian Federation had met four American Presidents since 1999. They are President Bill Clinton, President George W Bush, President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump and now Joe Biden was the fifth president meeting Putin. Indeed, Putin expectedly was well aware of American political ‘expectations’ from him.
However, things this time in Geneva were different than what happened in Helsinki when Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin came to discuss various issues. Donald Trump is flamboyant and loves ‘media’, Putin seems to know that art much better than his counterparts. Unlike Donald Trump, President Joe Biden is a serious man, who believes that diplomatic skills cannot be displayed through ‘media’ but through serious back-channel negotiations.
The American media which was frustrated with Trump wanted to make the Geneva talks as a ‘victory’ for Joe Biden. It had already started fixing up the narrative, and there was an effort to to project Vladimir Putin as a very ‘small’ man, or Russia an absolute ‘non-entity’ in comparison to the United States.
The story of Putin was notorious for making world leader ‘wait’ for his arrival began being discussed. Also, how the American administration did not want President Biden to ‘wait’ for Putin. Hence, it was suggested, Putin came on time from Moscow, arrived at the hotel to be welcomed by the Swiss President and waited for President Biden to arrive for the talks.
American media sought to ‘analyse’ each aspect of the ‘summit’, making every effort to belittle Putin and Russia. Putin would use this summit to strengthen his ‘ratings’ domestically, said one commentator. Another nodded, he must be feeling ‘ great’ sitting with the world's ‘most powerful’ man and getting international ‘importance’.
Pathetic to say the least. Russia may not be the same as the United States but it definitely is a great nation. It still inspires nations who fought against colonialism and Western hegemony.
After the first handshake between the two presidents and their footage of the face to face meeting, CNN commentators suggested that Putin was ‘nervous’ and looked like a ‘student’. They were in ‘awe’ with President Biden who looked ‘confident’. The one-to-one meeting between the two presidents took around two hours; it continued for around another three hours official delegations of the two sides present.
After the summit, it was clear that American did not want a joint press conference for the fear that Putin might ‘steal’ the show as happened during his joint press conference with Donald Trump at Helsinki. American administration as well as western media were determined not to give Putin an opportunity to ‘shine’ this time. Apparently, the media had come ‘well prepared’ to counter Putin. Hence it was made clear that both the leaders would address the media separately.
It was Putin who addressed the media first. He looked confident and was always dealing with the media. He said that the talks were constructive and spoke highly of President Joe Biden. He is a ‘statesman’, said Putin. Then he spoke that Russian and American Ambassadors would resume their respective duties soon.
As usual, the western media wanted to ‘embarrass’ Putin on his ‘human rights’ record and about the opposition leader in jail on charges of espionage. American media was continuously ranting on the issue and making out as if Putin would be ‘taught’ a lesson if he did not agree.
Putin is a classic Russian leader who knows how to handle Western media. All those ‘liberals’ got everything in return when Putin responded powerfully and spoke about ‘Black Lives Matters’ which does not exist in Russia. He also said that he does not want to tell America what happened in the aftermath of the Presidential elections when Trump’s supporters attacked Capitol Hill.
Putin also rejected the allegation by the American media about maltreatment to the Russian ‘dissenter ’Alexei Navalny who is languishing in jail. Putin said emphatically that America termed Russia as an adversary and hence how can a person being supported by an adversary be a friend of Russia?
A man who hasn't spoken to any journalist in last 7 years and enjoys doing mock interviews with devotees can't handle media at a neutral place
The Western journalists actually could not trap Putin through their ‘difficult’ questions. Every time he visits the West, Putin wins the show. After Putin’s lengthy conference, it was the turn of President Joe Biden to speak to the media. As a seasoned politician, he spoke that the talks were constructive and hoped that he would continue to push for American interest.
However, the media was not ‘satisfied’ with Biden’s response. They wanted to know whether Biden ‘scolded’ Putin or not. Such a stupid attitude can only be expected when the media is a propaganda machinery of the ruling dispensation. As President Biden was about to leave, the last question asked by a reporter exasperated him. “ Are you confident that Putin’s behaviour will change?'' said the journalist.
This question actually hurt Biden and he was a bit aggressive when he said, “ What will change their behaviour is if the rest of the world reacts to them and it diminishes their standing in the world. I’m not confident of anything; I’m just stating a fact.”
The president knew the art of diplomacy, and being a seasoned political leader understood that not everything can be discussed at a press conference. Joe Biden, knew, he was not speaking to some president in some nondescript country. He was speaking to Russia, still the world's biggest country and a big power of yesteryears which has not been diminished as many had assumed.
It is a country which still gives hope to many other countries. Even in the Covid times, it is the Russian vaccine Sputnik which was initially looked down upon by the Western media but soon they realised that its efficacy was more than any of their own products.
The problem in the Western media world is that the narrative starts about their opponents. Russia is an independent nation and has a right to defend itself. Putin will not speak American language like the Americans would not speak the Russian language. Why does American media want Putin to speak for their interests?
It is the same media which made Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat look like terrorists. They would always question the ‘human rights’ record of these leaders and their countries. Fortunately, all of them were extremely well read and understood the games of the imperial powers.
Whether Nelson Mandela or Fidel Castro, they remained powerful, thoughtful and western media understood that. All those who spoke for their own countries and showed their autonomy became villains. Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Robert Mugabe – all became villains in the western world. I am not saying they did no wrong. Of course, the crisis of the global south is the absence of autonomous institutions, which made the anti-colonial war heroes as absolute monarchs, with no challenge to their leadership.
The leadership of a nation cannot be judged by the standards that an outsider imposes on us. The world is turning into a village and information technology has brought us closer. Yet, media is a medium to communicate a message. The duty of the media is to report and not to push the agenda of their political leaders. International media must to provide both sides of the stories.
There is a tendency to ignore that American administration has supported fundamentalists, military dictators and monarchs. Who can ignore the powerful General Ziaul Haq of Pakistan who destroyed the constitution and created a sharia law in his country, found full support by the Americans to counter the Russian influence in Afghanistan? It is a well known fact that, prior to the Taliban, Afghanistan had a much progressive regime under Najibullah.
Similarly, in the Middle East, Americans supported all the monarchs while trying to delegitimize Iran, which had a much better track record of political system in comparison to Saudi Arabia, America’s biggest ally. American human rights concerns have rarely questioned Israel’s brutalities and absolute disrespect for international laws in Gaza Strip and the rest of Palestine, where innocent citizens are criminalised at will without ever respecting the autonomy and sovereignty of Palestine authority.
Be that as it may, Joe Biden was gracious, and when he realised that he overreacted to the journalist’s question, he apologised to her before taking off from Geneva. It takes a lot of courage and conviction to do so. Joe Biden deserves one’s respect and appreciation. One can never expect such things happening in our part of the world. Frankly, we have troll armies now on social media to trash genuine journalists. These are paid trolls who humiliate all those who differ from the 'official' lines.
One wonders if our supreme leader has the capacity to handle such aggressive hostile media independently, as Putin handled in Geneva. One may not like Putin, but the fact is he stole the show in Geneva despite all attempts by the media to make him a villain. For that you need a lot of courage and conviction.
A man who has not spoken to any journalist in the last seven years and who enjoys doing ‘mock’ interviews with ‘devotees’ can't handle media at a neutral place. A leader’s strength is measured in these neutral places as how he or she handles the media and explains facts about his or her country.
Indian leaders can learn a lot from this summit that a superfluous leader created by false narrative can't really respond to tough questions internationally. Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin showed they were leaders in their own right, and know how to handle the media as per their country’s interest.
The lesson for the media is to focus on reporting and not try to build a one-sided narrative to increase their TRPs. Diplomacy and negotiations are a difficult art and hence important to give the back channel diplomats a space for breathing so that talks succeed and ensure its continuation in the greater interest of world peace and stability.
---
*Human rights defender, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat, twitter: @freetohumanity

Comments

S.Dey. said…
I really like the statesmanship of Honourable Putin who faces the world in a calm and quite gesture with hardly any abusive language even to his opponents.
I also respect President Bidan for his great experiences in how to deal with a difficult situation and exponential pressure of vested interests.
All the leaders of the world should come together to create a new world order with UNO personals acting as Border Security of necessary socio-economic sustainable zones in line of Progressive Utilisation Theory of Sociological Science based on NEO-HUMANISM.
Minor nations shall then not feel threatened by major nations and food,cloth,shelter,medical support and education becomes available to all in the medium of their mother tongue becomes available in a post-destruction era of world economy under the guidance of Great Personalities' collective leadership.

TRENDING

Adani coalmine delayed? Australian senate fails to pass crucial "reform" amendment for project's financial closure

Adanis' Mundra power plant, controversial in Australia By  A  Representative In what is being described as a new “new hurdle”, the proposed Adani coalmine in the Queensland state of in Australia failed to get the crucial Australian Parliamentary nod, essential for financial closure for one of the biggest coalmining projects in the world. The government lost the Senate vote 35-33, meaning the legislation won't pass until the Senate returns in mid-June.

Paul Newman wasn't just remarkably talented, he was anti-war activist, disdained Hollywood excesses

By Harsh Thakor*  On January 26th of this year, we celebrated the birth centenary of Paul Newman, one of the finest actors of his era. His passing on September 26, 2008, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer, was met with an outpouring of tributes and remembrances from artists across the film industry, all sharing their thoughts and memories of the legendary actor.  

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Chhattisgarh's CFR management plan implementation under PM-DA JGUA: A promising start

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan*  Chhattisgarh is poised to benefit significantly from the Pradhan Mantri Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Uttkarsh Abhiyan (PM-DA JGUA) Mission, launched by the Prime Minister on October 2, 2024.  This mission aims to support 400 gram sabhas in the state in developing and implementing Community Forest Resource (CFR) Management Plans.

Health expert Dr Amitav Banerjee on commercialization of healthcare and neglect of natural immunity

By AK Shiburaj  In an interview with me, eminent health expert Dr. Amitav Banerjee has examined the impact of privatization on the healthcare sector, the implications of the World Health Organization (WHO) becoming a commercially driven entity, and the consequences of a pharmaceutical industry prioritizing profit over public health. He argues that an approach ignoring the importance of natural immunity fosters a drug-centric system that undermines the benefits of modern medicine.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Hyderabad seminar rekindles memories of the spark lit 50 years ago by students

By Harsh Thakor*  History is something we constantly remember and reflect upon, but certain moments and events bring it back to our memory in a special way. For the Telugu people, and Telangana in particular, the memorial seminar held on February 20–21 was a significant occasion to recall the glorious events, transformations, leaders, and heroes of past struggles. Thousands of students rewrote the history of people's movements in Andhra Pradesh, carrying revolutionary zeal and the spirit of self-sacrifice to levels comparable to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

Trust, we (from People to PM and President) did not take a Holy Dip in some Holy Shit!

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava  I could see two deeply interlinked aspects between human and water in #MahaKumbh2025. Firstly, the HOPE that a ‘holy dip’ in the River Ganga (colloquially referred as dubki and spiritually as ‘Snan’) will cleanse oneself (especially the sins); and secondly, the TRUST that the water is pure to perform the cleansing alias living the hope. Well, I consider hope to be self-dependent while, trust is a multi-party dependent situation. The focus here is on the trust and I shall write later on hope.

Democratic Front Against Operation Green Hunt condemns alleged extrajudicial killings in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor*  The recent encounter in Indravati National Park, Bijapur district, in which 31 Maoists were killed, has brought the total Maoist casualties in Chhattisgarh this year to 81. Following this incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s objective of eliminating "Left-wing extremism" in India by March 2026. This was the second-largest reported Maoist casualty in a single security operation, following the deaths of 38 Maoists in Narayanpur’s Thulthuli on October 3, 2024.

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.