Biden-Putin Call Gets off to Rocky Start Because Joe Is Classic Joe – Opinion

Joe Biden had a Zoom phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin today over Russia’s threatening Ukraine with more than 175,000 troops massed on the border.

As we reported earlier, it didn’t start well because the first release of information from the call wasn’t from Joe Biden or the U.S. as to what had gone on, but from the Russians — from Russian state media.

On their video conference, President Biden is heard saying to Putin “I hope next we can meet in real person.”

Russia allowed state media in for a short video spray of the first few moments of the call – the White House did not allow American press any access. https://t.co/KcBZwHdFQK

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) December 7, 2021

That’s just ridiculous that the Biden team doesn’t feel any obligation to provide anything to Americans. But he’s treated the media and his obligation to be transparent with a quiet disdain, as though he has no such obligation to provide information to the public. We’ve seen Biden cancel important press conferences like the ‘Three Amigos’ conference and cancel remarks on the supply chain crisis just moments before he was set to make them. It’s ridiculous that, because of their fear of Biden’s gaffes, they wouldn’t comply with basic transparency for the American people. We shouldn’t have to find out what happened in the call from Vladimir Putin.

Even in the smallest segment released by the Russians, it is clear that there are issues. The Russians, no doubt, can.

WATCH: Biden greets Putin via video conference before seeking to ease tensions over Russia’s massing of troops along the border with Ukraine and fears of a possible invasion https://t.co/LcIe2XGHnE pic.twitter.com/hsbtCDaQzm

— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) December 7, 2021

You can see that Putin greets Biden in Russian when you view the video. While Putin is very relaxed, you can’t hear Biden respond but then you can see him fiddling with things on the other end. It appeared that he had forgotten to switch on the microphone, and was experiencing difficulties. Biden finally gets it on, he waves, and you hear him chuckling and saying, “Hello.”

President Biden wave to President Putin when he begins a video call in the White House Situation Room. pic.twitter.com/06xFoKAFVQ

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) December 7, 2021

“It’s good to see you again,” Biden said. “We didn’t get to see one another at the G20. I hope the next time we meet, we do it in person.”

Now, I don’t want to be picky but when you’re supposed to be on a extremely serious call, warning Putin off of war against Ukraine, I don’t think he’s particularly frightened, when you can’t even turn on your mic and you come off waving and sounding like old Uncle Joe down at the home who’s glad to see a visitor.

Biden already has a gap on the international stage due to his terrible withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his meeting with Putin in Geneva at the G7. There, he was also very weak, meeting with Putin, despite cyberattacks linked to Russians on U.S. infrastructure, needing note cards and then nodding that he, Biden, trusted Putin in response to a reporter’s questions. Biden never criticized Putin. He gave him all he wanted with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a huge help to Russia, and it increased its power to influence the EU’s energy policy. However, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline also helped Ukraine. They were also more able to pay transit fees, something that Biden had not previously done. That’s why the U.S. fought it for so many years before Biden just caved to the Russians on it.

Russia just released those first few moments of the call, so we don’t know exactly what else Biden said to Putin. Biden was to threaten Putin with harsh sanctions and more force deployments to the region. They spoke for about two hours, so let’s hope he did say something of value but I don’t hold out a lot of hope.