The summit was subject to internal debate, with a divide emerging between supporters and skeptics. A spate of provocations, from ransomware attacks launched by criminal networks inside Russia to the treatment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, led to further discussion over whether the time was right for a meeting. Biden’s ambassador to Russia even privately warned lawmakers that the administration risks repeating the mistakes of its predecessors if it does not approach relations with Putin with clear eyes, CNN reported on Tuesday.
Yet after two phone calls with Putin, Biden remained…
