Pool Reports of June 16, 2021

Travel pool report #1

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Good morning from Geneva.

It's a beautiful sunny day. Highs are expected in the 80s.

Your pool is gathered at POTUS' hotel for the departure of the motorcade shortly.

The much anticipated meeting between President Biden and President Putin will be held this afternoon at Villa La Grange, an 18th century villa located in a park. More information on the villa and surrounding park where we will spend our day can be found here: https://www.geneve.ch/en/parc-villa-grange

Travel pool report #2

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Motorcade is rolling at 1:09 am.

Travel pool report #3

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Motorcade arrived at 1:19 pm.

Ride was uneventful but thousands of spectators lined the street to snap photos. No signs or protests visible.

Travel pool report #4

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

At 1:23 pm, Swiss President Guy Parmelin emerged along with US and Russian presidents. Putin, wearing a dark suit with what looked like a purple tood to the left and Biden, wearing a blue tie, to the right.

Biden and Putin did not speak. Will send the Swiss leaders remarks shortly.

At the moment, the US and Russian pools are standing at the door.of the villa. We are not being allowed in because everyone is pushing and shoving. Authorities have threatened to keep us out. Unclear if we will miss the remarks.

Service is extremely bad. Apologies for the delay.

Travel pool report #5

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

There's an extremely chaotic scene at the door. Both pools being denied access.

At 1:39 pm, part of the pool was ushered in but we were pushed and shoved by security officials and Russian media. Poolers tripped over cords.

Inside, a pooler shouted Mt President, do you trust Putin? Biden nodded yes up and down. Another pooler asked Putin if he feared Navalny and what he would do if Ukraine joined NATO. He looked up and did not respond.

Travel pool report #6

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Prior to the arrival of the poolers at the front of the villa, other media were already standing in front of the door.

Thanks to Andrew Restuccia of the WSJ for providing this:

Mr. Putin arrived at the villa at 1:03 p.m., and got out of the car at 1:04 pm. He was greeted by Swiss President Guy Parmelin, whose country is hosting the summit. The two men chatted briefly and posed for photos. Mr Putin did not make remarks, but he waved to reporters before entering the villa.

Mr. Biden arrived separately at 1:18 pm. He stayed in the car for a minute, removing his sunglasses. After exiting his vehicle, Mr. Biden posed for photos with Mr. Parmelin. He smiled broadly, but didn't respond to shouted questions from reporters.

Travel pool report #7

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

The Swiss president's remarks:

"Mr. President of the Russian Federation, Mr. President of the United States of America, On behalf of the Swiss government, I would like to welcome you to Geneva, the city of peace. It is an honor and a pleasure for Switzerland to host you here for this summit and, in accordance with its tradition of good offices, promote dialog and mutual understanding. I wish you both a fruitful meeting in the interest of your two countries and the world. Best wishes and goodbye"

Service remains spotty.

Travel pool report #8

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Here's more of a description of the villa as the pool was waiting:

The shoving match began at a side entrance immediately as the two presidents entered the villa from the front door. Journalists from both countries rushed to enter the building but were stopped by US and Russian security and government officials. The pool was repeatedly told to line up separately and in single file but neither side did. Instead, the journalists pushed and shoved trying to enter the building. There was screaming and yelling as a Swiss official kept asking everyone to be quiet. Poolers was told by the US and Russia officials several times that they would not be allowed inside unless everyone was orderly. That never happened. White House officials repeatedly tried to get the US pool inside, saying that the US and Russia had agreed on the numbers. Meanwhile, we learned while standing there that the leaders had started speaking without media inside the room. Finally at 1:39 pm, nine of the 13-member US pool got into the room.

Description from your pooler and co-pooler Mike Shear.

Correction: Putin was wearing a purple tie/

Travel pool report #9

Geneva, Switzerland

June 16, 2021

Here's more of a description from inside the room:

Biden and Putin were seated in a library with books lining at least three of the walls. The two presidents had a small wooden table in between them. Flowers were on the table. A large globe was just behind the table. Large US and Russian flags were erected on each side of the globe.

Biden was seated with his legs crossed. To his right, a female interpreter sat in a chair. To her right, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was seated.

Putin was seated with his hands on his legs. To his left, a female interpreter sat in a chair. To her left was Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The media scuffle was the most chaotic your pooler has seen at a presidential event in nine years. Journalists pushed and shoved, yelling at each other to move but no one did. After just a minute or two, Russian security pulled the red rope separating the media from the leaders back to try to keep them away from the presidents. Russian security yelled at journalists to get out and began pushing journalists. Journalists and White House officials screamed back that the Russian security should stop touching us. Your pooler was pushed multiple times, nearly to the ground, as many poolers tripped over the red rope, which was now almost to the ground.

Both presidents watched and listened to the media scuffle in front of them. They appeared amused by the scene. At one point, Biden leaned over and spoke to the interpreter and smiled.

Travel pool report #10

Geneva
June 16, 2021

Photo inside the room

[APP Note: The image referenced in this report was not included in the report email received by the APP. See also note in Report #11 below.]

Travel pool report #11

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Providing a little more context to an earlier report:

AP's Jonathan Lemire asked Putin if he feared Navalny and what he would do if Ukraine joined NATO. Putin looked up and did not respond.

NBC's Elyse Perlmutter asked Biden if he trusted Putin. Biden looked at her and nodded in the affirmative.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki sends the pool this statement:

"During a chaotic free for all with members of the press shouting questions over each other, the President gave a general head nod in the direction of the media. He wasn't responding to any question or anything other than the chaos."

Thanks to NBC for sending some of the remarks that the pool missed at the very stop of what was to be the pool spray.

BRIEF PHOTO SPRAY OF BIDEN, BLINKEN, PUTIN, & LAVROV – NO REMARKS (via Nia Lartey):

7:36:46 PUTIN: [speaking in Russian]

7:36:52 TRANSLATOR: Mr. President, I'd like to thank you for your initiative to meet today.

7:36:56 PUTIN: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:00 TRANSLATOR: I know that you've been on a long tour [inaudible]

7:37:03 PUTIN: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:10 TRANSLATOR: Still, the US and Russian relations have a lot of issues accumulated that require the highest level meeting.

7:37:15 PUTIN: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:17 TRANSLATOR: And I hope that our meeting will be productive.

7:37:20 BIDEN: Thank you. As I said outside, I think that it's always better to meet face to face.

7:37:25 TRANSLATOR: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:33 BIDEN: [inaudible] mutual interest, cooperate.

7:37:38 TRANSLATOR: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:43 BIDEN: [inaudible]

7:37:51 TRANSLATOR: [speaking in Russian]

7:37:59 BIDEN: [inaudible]

7:38:00 TRANSLATOR: [speaking in Russian]

And also a delayed thank you to the rest of the 13-member White House pool for the help.

Clarification: The pool report numbers are off because the White House removed the photo from a pool report #10. You can see the photos on Twitter @anitakumar01

Travel pool report #12

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Background from a White House official:

The first session started at 1:44 PM CEST and wrapped at 3:17 PM CEST. They are moving into the expanded bilateral meeting.

Travel pool report #13

Geneva

June 16, 2021

From a White House official:

The expanded bilateral meeting started at 4:00 PM CEST.

Travel pool report #13

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Attributable to a White House official:

The expanded bilateral meeting broke at 5:05 PM CEST.

There was only one meeting, and it was not split into two.

Travel pool report #14

Geneva

June 16, 2021

To clarify the previous pool report, the White House has not confirmed whether the summit is over – only that the expanded bilat has ended.

Travel pool report #15

Geneva

June 16, 2021

From a White House official:

Confirming that the summit ended when the expanded bilat broke, at 5:05 PM CEST.

Travel pool report #16

Geneva

June 16, 2021

At 5:34 pm. President Biden rode from the villa, where the summit was held, to the hotel, which is where his news conference will take place. Both are located in the same park complex and the ride took about a minute. The pool did not accompany him.

President Biden will hold at the hotel until after the Putin news conference.

Travel pool report #17

Geneva

June 16, 2021

From a White House Official:

President Biden gifted President Putin a crystal sculpture of an American Bison by Steuben Glass of New York, a stately interpretation of one of our nation's most majestic mammals and representative of strength, unity, resilience. In 2016, it was officially named the national mammal of the United States when the Obama-Biden Administration signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law. In Russia, over the past 20 years, European bison were reintroduced by rewilding numerous sites after their extinction in 1927. The sculpture will be presented on a cherry wood base, symbolic of our nation's first president, George Washington, with a custom engraved inscription plaque commemorating the meeting between President Biden and President Putin.

President Biden also gifted President Putin a pair of custom Aviators made by Randolph USA. In 1978, Randolph joined forces with the U.S. military to produce the HGU-4/P Aviator designed for fighter pilots. They have since provided the U.S. military and NATO partners with their high-level, durable aviators, manufactured domestically in their Massachusetts factory.

Travel pool report #18

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Two minute warning to press conference.

Travel pool report #19

Geneva

June 16, 2021

President Biden began his news conference at 7:20 pm. He came out wearing his sunglasses but has taken them off to speak.

It's being carried live.

Travel pool report #20

Geneva

June 17, 2021 [APP Note: The correct date should read "June 16, 2021".]

President Biden wrapped up his press conference at 7:53 pm.

Pool is on the move to vans.

Travel pool report #21

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Motorcade is rolling to the airport at 7:58 pm.

The back drop of the press conference was of Lake Geneva and absolutely beautiful. But it was extremely hot and the sun was shining brightly in the faces of the audience. Some of the White House aides who were seated to Biden's front left had to move back to avoid the sun.

List of attendees in the expanded bilateral meeting:

U.S. Delegation

The President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
T.H. John Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation
T.H. Eric Green, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia
Mr. Stergos Kaloudis, Director for Russia, National Security Council

Russia Delegation

H.E. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation
H.E. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
H.E. Dmitry Peskov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Executive Office of the President and Press Secretary
H.E. Yury Ushakov, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation
Mr. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense
H.E. Anatoly Antonov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States
Mr. Sergey Prozhogin, Deputy Director of the Department of North America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Travel pool report #22

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Motorcade arrived at Geneva airport at 8:15 pm.

Spectators again lined the closed streets as the motorcade rode by. They snapped photos and waved.

On background from a White House Official:

The two expanded sessions were combined into one, removing a planned break, and making that part of the program shorter.

The first session lasted an hour and thirty-three minutes.

The expanded bilateral lasted an hour and twenty-seven minutes. It ended at 5:27 PM CEST.

There was only one break in between the two meetings, which lasted for twenty minutes. Both signed the guest book.

President Biden and President Putin were not together during that break. Both Presidents signed the guest book, but independently. The President signed book at 3:25 PM CEST, in the middle of the break.

Apologies for the delay in pool reports. Service was spotty around the venue as we left.

Travel pool report #23

Geneva

June 16, 2021

POTUS stopped to speak briefly to the pool under the wing but it was extremely difficult to hear over the roar of the engine.

More to come.

Travel pool report #24

Biden said he apologized to Kaitlin Collins for snapping at her at the end of the press conference. "I shouldn't have been such a wise guy." But he defended his answer to her, saying it was important to be realistic but show an optimistic face.

On infrastructure, he said he hasn't seen the details of the latest plan.

On McConnell's comments on SCOTUS, he said "Mitch has been nothing but no for a long time."

On Iran nuclear deal, he said he and Putin spoke about it but provided no details.

Travel pool report #25

Geneva

June 16, 2021

Otter link of Biden via Mike Shear.

https://otter.ai/u/erIOIZvSJLYmeJ9xEd-8f6osYYQ

Travel pool report #26

Geneva

June 16, 2021

We've rolling at 8:37 pm.

From the White House.

Upon arrival at Geneva Airport, the President was greeted by:

H.E. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations
Mirko Giulietti, Head of the Americas Division at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Eva Weigold Schultz, Chargé d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

The President also thanked advance staff who helped made his first international trip as president a success.

Travel pool report #27

Joint Base Andrews

June 16, 2021

Air Force One touched down at Joint Base Andrews at 10:34 pm.

The flight was uneventful. We had no visitors to the press cabin.

Travel pool report #28

Joint Base Andrews

June 16, 2021

President Biden walked down the stairs of Air Force One at 10:47 pm. He was followed by a large contingent of staff.

He boarded Marine One at 10:48 pm. Marine One was in the air at 10:54 pm.

And that's a wrap on President Biden's first foreign trip - an eight-day three-country trip to the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland.

A big thanks to the entire pool for the help today under some difficult circumstances. Handing off to intown pool.

Goodnight everyone.

In town pool report #1 — gathering for POTUS final arrival

Hi there,

I'll be your in town pooler.

It's a cool, breezy night at the White House, and we're gathering at the stakeout at 10:40 pm for POTUS final arrival.

In town pool report #2 — POTUS arrival

M-1 touched down at 11:04 pm.

Biden waved to the press gathered at the ellipse as he walked toward a black SUV and climbed inside at 11:07 pm. He did not answer questions from the press.

In town pool report #3 — lid

Lid has been called at 11:10 pm.

Have a great rest of your night!