Ha ha. Awkward!
President Obama had his first-ever meeting today with his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev. They both emerged smiling, with an agreement in hand to work on reducing nuclear arms. We’ve seen at least one American president taken in by his Russian counterpart before, but the new administration seems hopeful they can avoid the mistakes of the past.
In any case, the leaders’ meeting at Winfield House, over a bowl of pink camellias, was punctuated by a typically odd and strained exchange in front of reporters. For all the talk of a reset relationship, this one appears off to a weird, quirky start.
“I have agreed to visit Moscow in July,” Obama said, “which we both agreed was a better time than January to visit.”
Medvedev laughed a few seconds later, when the comment was translated, and he later predicted that the warm summer climate would fit the tone of the meeting.
“I can only agree that relations between our countries have been complicated,” Medvedev said. “They were drifting,” he said, echoing Obama’s words,” adding that they were at times “degrading.”
Senior administration officials briefed reporters later on the behind-the-scenes, saying that some of the leaders’ discussion was quite “personal.” Asked to elaborate, one official said they discussed their families and a shared interest in the rule of law.
