Security in Geneva has swelled through the morning and by the time Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for his summit with US President Joe Biden, hundreds of police and troops had cordoned off many the Swiss city's main streets.
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Sniffer dogs joined police on patrol on Wednesday as concrete barricades, barbed wire and portable metal fences corralled gawking onlookers hoping for a glimpse of Putin's motorcade passing by - before Biden's cortege had yet hit the road.
Tall metal gates ringed a large chunk of downtown Geneva, with armed men wearing flak jackets and earpieces posted every few metres around a picturesque neighbourhood.
Helicopters swirled overhead, and police patrol boats circulated along Lake Geneva.
Some merchants in the area lamented slower-than-usual business, while others expressed pride that the world's eyes are on Geneva.
Australian Associated Press