Putin Praises Bush Administration’s Hospitality, Obama Retaliates By Reminding Putin His Place
Jul 7, 2009 14 Comments ›› Erik Wong
An honest accidental slip-up, or a sly retaliation, a reminder that he is not on top of Russian Politics anymore? The worst insult in the world to Barack Obama is to say that George Bush, a true patriot and President, is better then He, and that’s exactly what Putin said. Good for him.
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised the hospitality and openness of U.S. former President George W. Bush in a telegramme sent hours before meeting his successor Barack Obama.
“During the last years we have been working on strengthening Russia-U.S. cooperation. Although there were differences between our countries, I always valued your openness and sincerity,” Putin said, congratulating Bush on his 63rd birthday on July 6.
“With special warmth I recall your hospitality in the Crawford ranch and your family estate in Kennebunkport,” Putin wrote, referring to their 2007 meeting at the Bush family vacation home when the two leaders went fishing and ate lobster.
Bush had said he “was able to get a sense of his soul” when he first met Putin and since then their warm rapport has helped limit the damage from a series of rows that returned ties between their administrations to chilly Cold War lows.
On Tuesday, Putin, who stepped down as president last year but remains the most influential Russian politician, invited Obama for a “Russian-style” breakfast during their first meeting at Putin’s forest residence outside Moscow.
Russian agencies, quoting the government’s press service, said Putin treated Obama to black caviar with sour cream, smoked beluga with pancakes and tea made in the traditional Russian samovar, a big coal-fired kettle.
MOSCOW (Reuters) – In a slip of the tongue, U.S. President Barack Obama described Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday as president, echoing the widely held view that he remains Russia’s most powerful man.
Putin surrendered the presidency to protege Dmitry Medvedev last May to take the lesser post of prime minister, but most political analysts say Putin remains Russia’s ultimate decision maker.
The dual leadership has left foreign leaders to walk a difficult diplomatic tightrope. In line with protocol Obama met Medvedev ahead of talks with the lower ranking Putin.
At a news conference Obama gave a carefully worded reply about the effectiveness of the leadership tandem when a U.S. journalist bluntly asked “who is really in charge here in Russia?”
But minutes later, speaking about Medvedev’s objections to a controversial missile defense system planned for central Europe, Obama slipped:
“I suspect when I speak to President..eh.. Prime Minister Putin tomorrow, he will say the same thing.”
