The two sides used public forums and the media to shape the contours of the negotiation. A negotiation session occurred in Moscow in May, but again it was evident that the two sides were far apart on important issues such as the treaty structure and on limitation numbers. The negotiations then moved to Geneva, Switzerland. The result Gottemoeller wanted to realize at this point was to fashion a joint communiqué with her Russian counterpart that the two presidents could use as a mechanism for advancing some elements of the treaty when Obama arrived in Moscow in early July to meet with Medvedev. Although she accomplished her goal of a joint statement, dissatisfaction remained because the two sides could not agree on some important elements. Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with the chief of Russia's General Staff, Gen. of the Army Nikolai Makarov, his Russian counterpart, to advance the negotiation process. Thereafter, Obama arrived in Moscow for a summit meeting with Medvedev, which was cordial, but Obama’s meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to gauge his position on US-Russian relations was less so. US senators watched closely the unfolding of events.