Russia-US relations: The contentious issues

President Joe Biden has kept his cards close to his chest ahead of the summit in Geneva. He declined to say how he plans to confront Putin during talks with his Russian counterpart — but is expected to address key issues. "I'm not looking for conflict with Russia, but we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities," Biden said ahead of the summit.

The imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny — who was also poisoned last summer — saw Western nations call on Moscow to ensure the opposition leader's safety. "Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights," Biden said. In an interview with NBC, Putin would not guarantee that Navalny will leave prison alive.

A string of cyberattacks linked to the Kremlin in recent years is one reason why US-Russia relations have reached a nadir since the Cold War. Putin has rejected Washington's claims that Moscow was involved, calling the allegations "farcical."

A bipartisan Senate report released in 2020 found that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election — and accused Putin of having greenlighted the interference aimed at getting Donald Trump into the White House. Putin has consistently denied the allegations, recently saying they were "unfounded accusations."

Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine caused furor worldwide. The international community has refused to officially recognize Russia's claim, though many countries have resigned themselves to the idea that the peninsula will be under the Kremlin's control in the foreseeable future. In March, Putin held a concert broadcast in Crimea to mark the annexation's anniversary.

Fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces ignited after Crimea's annexation and tensions remain to this day. Biden is expected to confront Putin about the invasion into neighboring Ukraine.

The families of two ex-US Marines imprisoned in Russia are hoping Biden can secure their release, as reports say both Biden and Putin are open to a prisoner swap. Trevor Reed (pictured) was convicted in 2020 for assaulting police officers in Moscow. Paul Whelan, 51, was convicted of espionage. Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years in a US prison for plotting to sell missiles.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leaders want Biden to push Putin into backing a transition of power. Putin is has backed Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for 27 years despite a disputed election result last year. The president has faced sanctions over Belarus' crackdown on protesters and journalists — including Raman Pratasevich, who was seized after a Ryanair plane was diverted to Minsk.

The sides have an interest in discussing arms control agreements, including restarting talks on a potential follow-up to the New START agreement — the only remaining US-Russian arms control pact. The deal was extended for five years in January.

Biden is keen to expand humanitarian aid distribution to war-ravaged areas in Syria, but Putin has previously threatened to close the last aid crossing. Putin, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's, has accused the US of sowing division in the region. In July, the UN Security Council votes on whether to extend authorization for the aid crossing via Turkey — a decision Russia can veto.

The US sees the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — which would double natural gas supplies from Russia to Germany — as a geopolitical security threat. But in May the Biden administration decided to waive sanctions on the pipeline's company. The majority shareholder is the Russian state-run firm Gazprom. The move was a bid to further thaw US-EU relations after ties were strained under Trump.

The withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan has prompted fears of a power vacuum and instability in the region. The decision to exit was criticized by Russia, the Taliban and the Afghan government. "What is concerning in this context is that the armed conflict in Afghanistan might escalate in the near future," Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

Addressing Washington's grievances is nothing new for Putin, and he's not one to back down. He has warned the West to not cross any "red lines," suggesting that any intervention in domestic affairs or in Ukraine is a no-go. The summit, which was initiated by Biden, is seen by many experts as a win in Putin's eyes — as he seeks to be on equal footing with the US on the international stage.