| National Post | - |
BEIJING
- On the surface, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President
Vladimir Putin were all niceties - a pat on the back here, a pleasantry
there.
For Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin awkward is the new normal as U.S., Russia relations chill
Josh Lederman, Associated Press | November 11, 2014 | Last Updated: Nov 11 5:54 PM ET
More from Associated Press
More from Associated Press
Greg Baker/AFP/Getty ImagesInternational
tensions have created personal tensions between Russian President
Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama, pictured on Nov 11, 2014
at an APEC summit at Yanqi Lake, north of Beijing.
BEIJING —
On the surface, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President
Vladimir Putin were all niceties — a pat on the back here, a pleasantry
there. But away from the cameras, the two leaders circled each other
warily at a global summit in China, coming face to face while relations
between their countries continue to deteriorate.
The White House said Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin spoke three times Tuesday on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific economic meeting, tackling some of the tough issues that have strained their relationship, including Russia’s provocations in Ukraine and support for Syria’s embattled government. They also discussed the fast-approaching deadline in nuclear talks with Iran, in which the U.S. and Russia find themselves on the same negotiating team.
Unlike at some of their past meetings, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin kept their deep-seated policy disagreements behind the scenes. But their public encounters suggested their relationship remains tense.
Picturesque Yanqi Lake, just outside of Beijing, became the venue for an awkward pas de deux between two of the most powerful leaders in the world. Entering an ornate, wood-panelled room for the start of the summit, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin looked a bit like sidekicks to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit’s host led the way, with the American on one side and the Russian on the other.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mr. Putin said in Mr. Obama’s direction. Yes, it is, concurred a reticent Mr. Obama, avoiding eye contact with Mr. Putin and addressing his response to no one in particular.
As the three presidents came to a stop at the head of the table, Mr. Putin reached out to give Mr. Obama a slap on the back. But Mr. Obama had turned in a different direction, and it didn’t appear that the Mr. Putin’s hand landed on its intended target.
A few hours later, the two again found themselves in close quarters under an overcast sky as leaders planted trees in honour of their counties. Mr. Putin strode confidently up to his tree, ahead of Mr. Obama, who clasped his hands behind his back before picking up a shovel and greeting a Spanish TV crew with a wave.
Neither the White House nor the Kremlin offered much in the way of detail about the policy conversations Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin had on the sidelines of the summit. Mr. Putin’s spokesman said only that the two had spoken a few times, touching on “bilateral relations, the situation around Ukraine, Syria and Iran.”
Ben Rhodes, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said Mr.
Obama would not be seeking out an official meeting with Mr. Putin while
in Beijing — nor in Brisbane, Australia, where the leaders will once
again run into each other during a Group of 20 economic summit this
weekend. “Putin knows where we stand,” Mr. Rhodes said, adding that Mr.
Obama may discuss Russia’s actions in Ukraine with other G-20 leaders.
For Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin, awkward encounters at international gatherings have become almost expected. But the optics have gained even greater attention as the Ukraine crisis has taken centre stage.
In June, on the sidelines of D-Day anniversary commemorations in Normandy, France, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin avoided each other during a group photo, with Mr. Obama even using Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as a buffer. The two later spoke briefly during a private leaders’ lunch.
And during a formal meeting last year during a summit in Northern Ireland, Mr. Putin slumped in his chair and sat stone-faced as Mr. Obama tried to joke about the Russian leader’s athletic ability. Mr. Obama later said Mr. Putin frequently looks like “the bored kid in the back of the classroom.”
The Associated Press
The White House said Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin spoke three times Tuesday on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific economic meeting, tackling some of the tough issues that have strained their relationship, including Russia’s provocations in Ukraine and support for Syria’s embattled government. They also discussed the fast-approaching deadline in nuclear talks with Iran, in which the U.S. and Russia find themselves on the same negotiating team.
Unlike at some of their past meetings, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin kept their deep-seated policy disagreements behind the scenes. But their public encounters suggested their relationship remains tense.
Picturesque Yanqi Lake, just outside of Beijing, became the venue for an awkward pas de deux between two of the most powerful leaders in the world. Entering an ornate, wood-panelled room for the start of the summit, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin looked a bit like sidekicks to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit’s host led the way, with the American on one side and the Russian on the other.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mr. Putin said in Mr. Obama’s direction. Yes, it is, concurred a reticent Mr. Obama, avoiding eye contact with Mr. Putin and addressing his response to no one in particular.
As the three presidents came to a stop at the head of the table, Mr. Putin reached out to give Mr. Obama a slap on the back. But Mr. Obama had turned in a different direction, and it didn’t appear that the Mr. Putin’s hand landed on its intended target.
A few hours later, the two again found themselves in close quarters under an overcast sky as leaders planted trees in honour of their counties. Mr. Putin strode confidently up to his tree, ahead of Mr. Obama, who clasped his hands behind his back before picking up a shovel and greeting a Spanish TV crew with a wave.
Neither the White House nor the Kremlin offered much in the way of detail about the policy conversations Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin had on the sidelines of the summit. Mr. Putin’s spokesman said only that the two had spoken a few times, touching on “bilateral relations, the situation around Ukraine, Syria and Iran.”
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, PoolChinese
President Xi Jinping makes opening remarks as U.S. President Barack
Obama, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listen at an
APEC meeting at Yanqi Lake, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 near Beijing.
For Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin, awkward encounters at international gatherings have become almost expected. But the optics have gained even greater attention as the Ukraine crisis has taken centre stage.
In June, on the sidelines of D-Day anniversary commemorations in Normandy, France, Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin avoided each other during a group photo, with Mr. Obama even using Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as a buffer. The two later spoke briefly during a private leaders’ lunch.
And during a formal meeting last year during a summit in Northern Ireland, Mr. Putin slumped in his chair and sat stone-faced as Mr. Obama tried to joke about the Russian leader’s athletic ability. Mr. Obama later said Mr. Putin frequently looks like “the bored kid in the back of the classroom.”
The Associated Press
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