1 00:00:00,140 --> 00:00:04,561 JUDY WOODRUFF: President Biden has arrived in Geneva tonight, making ready for his meeting 2 00:00:04,561 --> 00:00:07,129 with Russia's President Vladimir Putin tomorrow. 3 00:00:07,129 --> 00:00:12,129 But, first, he moved today to end a tariff war with the European Union. 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,620 White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports. 5 00:00:15,620 --> 00:00:20,620 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: President Biden's final day in Belgium, a diplomatic sprint, photo-ops 6 00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:23,769 at the palace with the Belgian king. 7 00:00:23,769 --> 00:00:27,189 JOE BIDEN, President of the United States: America is back, and which is why we're here 8 00:00:27,189 --> 00:00:28,189 in full force. 9 00:00:28,189 --> 00:00:29,949 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Then meetings at the European Commission headquarters. 10 00:00:29,949 --> 00:00:32,110 JOE BIDEN: It's overwhelmingly in the interests of the United States of America to have a 11 00:00:32,110 --> 00:00:37,110 great relationship with NATO and with the E.But. 12 00:00:38,059 --> 00:00:43,059 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: One early product of Mr. Biden's E.U. engagement? A major trade resolution. 13 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,120 This morning, the U.S. and E.U. announced they reached an agreement to end a 17-year-long 14 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,120 trade dispute. It involves aircraft subsidies for the American company Boeing and the European 15 00:00:54,710 --> 00:00:57,420 multinational Airbus. 16 00:00:57,420 --> 00:01:02,420 Former President Trump escalated the U.S.-E.U. trade war. He slapped tariffs on European 17 00:01:02,839 --> 00:01:07,839 metals and other goods. Today, U.S. and E.U. officials vowed to end the larger trade dispute. 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,910 In Brussels today, U.S. trade Representative Katherine Tai told reporters that the deal 19 00:01:13,910 --> 00:01:18,910 will impact 700,000 jobs in the U.S. It comes as China is on track to become a major rival 20 00:01:20,860 --> 00:01:23,700 in airplane manufacturing. 21 00:01:23,700 --> 00:01:27,490 After his meetings in Brussels, President Biden flew to Geneva, Switzerland. Tomorrow, 22 00:01:27,490 --> 00:01:30,159 he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 23 00:01:30,159 --> 00:01:35,159 JOE BIDEN: He's bright. He's tough. And I have found that he is a -- as they say, when 24 00:01:37,610 --> 00:01:39,689 I used to play ball, a worthy adversary. 25 00:01:39,689 --> 00:01:43,780 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: U.S. officials say the president's meetings with Putin and Russian officials 26 00:01:43,780 --> 00:01:48,780 are expected to start around 1:00 p.m. local time. They could last four to five hours or 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:50,200 even longer. 28 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,450 Following the meetings, Mr. Biden is scheduled to hold a press conference without Putin, 29 00:01:54,450 --> 00:01:59,450 who will speak separately. The two leaders have met before, in 2011, when Mr. Biden was 30 00:02:00,229 --> 00:02:01,649 vice president. 31 00:02:01,649 --> 00:02:06,649 Yesterday, in Brussels, President Biden said he plans to take a tough line with Putin, 32 00:02:06,670 --> 00:02:10,959 but he also will try to sort out any common challenges they can address together. 33 00:02:10,959 --> 00:02:15,260 JOE BIDEN: We should decide where it's in our mutual interests, in the interests of 34 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:20,260 the world, to cooperate, and see if we can do that, and the areas where we don't agree, 35 00:02:23,290 --> 00:02:25,069 make it clear what the red lines are. 36 00:02:25,069 --> 00:02:29,989 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Administration officials say Mr. Biden plans to raise a number of issues. 37 00:02:29,989 --> 00:02:34,989 Among them? Ransomware attacks against U.S. infrastructure by criminals in Russia, as 38 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,209 well as Ukraine, human rights, and arms control. 39 00:02:39,209 --> 00:02:43,630 Sources close to Mr. Biden tell the "NewsHour" the main goal of the meeting is for the president 40 00:02:43,630 --> 00:02:48,630 to show U.S. strength and to create a stark contrast to former President Trump. In 2018, 41 00:02:49,450 --> 00:02:54,450 after meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Trump told reporters that he believed Putin 42 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:59,940 over U.S. intelligence officials that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 presidential election. 43 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:05,720 Today, in Geneva, President Biden was questioned whether he was ready to meet Putin. He had 44 00:03:06,129 --> 00:03:08,970 a simple answer -- quote -- "I'm always ready." 45 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:12,620 JUDY WOODRUFF: And Yamiche joins me now. 46 00:03:12,620 --> 00:03:13,620 Hello, Yamiche. 47 00:03:13,620 --> 00:03:18,620 So, as you reported, President Biden did meet with European Union leaders today. They announced 48 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:22,819 a trade deal. Tell us about the significance of that. 49 00:03:22,819 --> 00:03:26,909 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This trade deal between President Biden and the European Union is 50 00:03:26,909 --> 00:03:30,850 seen as a significant step toward calming the train disputes -- the trade disputes that 51 00:03:30,850 --> 00:03:33,900 really go past the Trump era. 52 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:38,620 President Trump -- former President Trump was really seen as hostile to European leaders 53 00:03:38,620 --> 00:03:42,989 and countries. He upped tariffs. And this is really President Biden wanting to signal 54 00:03:42,989 --> 00:03:47,470 that the United States and our European allies are on the same page. This is a five-year 55 00:03:47,470 --> 00:03:51,849 truce. And it's between Europe's Airbus and the United States' Boeing. 56 00:03:51,849 --> 00:03:54,970 I should also note that White House officials have been underscoring over and over again 57 00:03:54,970 --> 00:03:58,560 that they're looking for foreign policy for the middle class, to benefit the middle class. 58 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,299 So, this gets to that, they say, because this is going to impact about 700,000 jobs. 59 00:04:02,299 --> 00:04:07,299 JUDY WOODRUFF: And, meanwhile, Yamiche, we know the president has flown on to Geneva 60 00:04:07,799 --> 00:04:12,799 a day ahead of his meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. 61 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,280 What do we know about the issues President Biden plans to raise with Mr. Putin? 62 00:04:18,850 --> 00:04:22,200 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, this is now, of course, the high-stakes meeting that we have been 63 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,510 waiting for, for now several weeks. 64 00:04:25,510 --> 00:04:29,140 President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are going to be meeting at a villa just 65 00:04:29,140 --> 00:04:33,780 behind me. And the stakes and -- are really, really high for. There are all eyes looking 66 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:37,160 at these two leaders. There's a lot on the agenda, including talking about ransomware 67 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,420 attacks that have reportedly been carried out by criminals living in Russia. 68 00:04:41,420 --> 00:04:46,160 There's also the idea of Russia meddling in elections and disinformation. There's Ukraine 69 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,430 and the annexing of Crimea. And there's really human rights issues. So, President Biden says 70 00:04:50,430 --> 00:04:54,690 he has a long list. He wants to have a firm hand with Russia. And he also wants to make 71 00:04:54,690 --> 00:04:58,320 a stark contrast between his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, who was seen 72 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,160 as cozying up to Russia. 73 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:05,160 JUDY WOODRUFF: And what is it that -- how is it that this meeting is expected to shape 74 00:05:06,700 --> 00:05:11,470 their relationship going forward? What are American officials telling you they want from 75 00:05:11,470 --> 00:05:12,470 this meeting? 76 00:05:12,470 --> 00:05:17,330 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, that is a key question, Judy. What exactly is President Biden looking 77 00:05:17,330 --> 00:05:21,860 for in this meeting with the Russian president? And how, really, will it benefit the American 78 00:05:21,860 --> 00:05:24,590 people? That's the question that I have been putting to White House sources and aides. 79 00:05:24,590 --> 00:05:28,650 And they say this is really about showing that the U.S. is strong and that the U.S. 80 00:05:28,650 --> 00:05:32,390 can confront Russia head on. There's also this sense that President Biden really wants 81 00:05:32,390 --> 00:05:37,200 to turn the page and not be like his predecessor. There is a feeling here that this meeting 82 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,430 is going to be going on for some four to five hours. So there's going to be a lot to talk 83 00:05:40,430 --> 00:05:41,430 about. 84 00:05:41,430 --> 00:05:45,120 Now, President Biden, though, has called the Russian president a killer. He has said that 85 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,690 he does not trust him. So there really is this feeling that, while President Biden is 86 00:05:48,690 --> 00:05:52,680 here meeting with him, that he really wants to try to find some common ground, but also 87 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:57,060 wants to make the case that the United States should be talking to, in some ways, our adversaries, 88 00:05:57,060 --> 00:05:59,900 as well as the people that are close with us, our allies. 89 00:05:59,900 --> 00:06:03,190 And President Biden will be holding that solo press conference. And White House officials 90 00:06:03,190 --> 00:06:07,380 tell me it's because he does not want to be seen as competing with the president of Russia. 91 00:06:07,380 --> 00:06:11,220 He doesn't want to be seen as looking at who spoke longest. And he really wants to be making 92 00:06:11,220 --> 00:06:13,890 the case why this is important for the American people. 93 00:06:13,890 --> 00:06:16,290 But there are a lot of questions about, what are the deliverables that are going to come 94 00:06:16,290 --> 00:06:19,330 out of this meeting? And we're going to, of course, be hopefully asking some questions 95 00:06:19,330 --> 00:06:21,480 in that press conference and getting some answers, Judy. 96 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,800 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, the two men do have a bit of a history together. So, we will be 97 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,460 really interested to see how that meeting goes. 98 00:06:29,460 --> 00:06:33,020 Yamiche Alcindor with President Biden in Geneva, Switzerland. 99 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:34,020 Thank you, Yamiche. 100 00:06:34,020 --> 00:06:35,310 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks so much.