Images of Biden's meeting with Putin show a cool but cordial dynamic as the president seeks a reset after Trump

• Images show the cool atmosphere as Biden and Putin met in Geneva on Wednesday.
• Biden's stance toward Russia marks a major shift from Trump.
• Trump's Helsinki summit with Putin was one of the most infamous moments of his presidency.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday at a time when US-Russia relations are at a historic low. It was Biden's first face-to-face meeting as commander-in-chief with the Russian president.

Biden's approach to relations with Putin has marked a significant shift in the US stance toward Russia in comparison to the past four years under former President Donald Trump.

The atmosphere appeared cool, if cordial, as Biden and Putin greeted one another on Wednesday in keeping with the new president's view that Russia is a leading US adversary. Photos showed the leaders smiling as they exchanged a handshake before news photographers. Another image shows Biden making a point with his fists raised as Putin looks on during a meeting.

-Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) June 16, 2021

Trump's behavior toward Putin repeatedly sparked criticism in Washington and fueled suspicions about the president's loyalties. The former president repeatedly expressed admiration for Putin and avoided criticizing him on any level, even as the Russian leader became increasingly authoritarian at home and aggressive on the global stage.

In one of the most infamous moments of his presidency, Trump during a July 2018 summit in Helsinki appeared to side with Putin over the US intelligence community on the subject of Russian election interference.

US intelligence agencies concluded that Putin directed interference in the 2016 and 2020 elections to help boost Trump's chances of winning. An investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found that Trump's campaign welcomed Russia's interference in the 2016 election, but didn't uncover sufficient evidence to merit conspiracy charges.

Biden during his 2020 campaign pledged to confront Putin as president and excoriated Trump over his handling of US-Russia relations, accusing his predecessor of being far too soft on his Russian counterpart.

The president has said he doesn't seek conflict with Russia but wants to establish more stable, predictable relations, which is why he proposed holding a summit with Putin in a third country. Experts have expressed skepticism over what Biden can achieve via meeting with Putin, who has been an intractable leader over his 20 years in power.

The Biden administration has countered this criticism by underscoring that meeting with adversaries face-to-face is vital to working trough differences.

Beyond Russia's interference in US elections, the contentious dynamic between Washington and Moscow has been driven by the annexation of Crimea, the war in Ukraine involving Russia-backed rebels, cybersecurity concerns, the treatment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the Syria conflict, and more.

Heading into Wednesday's highly anticipated summit, Biden was expected to focus heavily on US concerns about cyber attacks while also pushing for new talks and commitments on nuclear arms control.

Unlike the Helsinki summit, there was no joint press conference in Geneva.

"In Helsinki in 2018 at his presser with Trump, Putin did not tell the truth and played whataboutism. So why give him a platform next to Biden to possibly do the same here in Geneva? Parallel pressers, not a joint one, is the right move," Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, tweeted.

Here are photos of Biden and Putin in Geneva, and photos of Putin and Trump in various meetings over the years.