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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Maeve Shearlaw

When Putin met Obama – diplomacy decoded by the Russian internet

US and Russian Presidents lock eyes during a toast at a luncheon in New York
US and Russian Presidents lock eyes during a toast at a luncheon in New York
Photograph: UN/Amanda Voisard/EPA

Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Barack Obama at the United Nations general assembly was always going to be a frosty affair.

Russia’s relations with the US and its allies have been at an all time low since fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine. Yet, both feel sides feel they have a role to play in fighting terror in the Middle East – a situation which Russia has insinuated was caused by US arrogance.

Just days before the scheduled one-to-one with Obama there were conflicting messages coming from the two countries’ press staff. Washington said Ukraine would be top of the agenda, Moscow insisted it would be Syria.

But official handout photos from the UN indicated that talking politics may not have been the most awkward part of the whole shebang. Their official pre-meet handshake was stiff, whilst the image of them clinking glasses at a later luncheon was enough to make anyone squirm.

But what hidden messages can we glean from the images? The Russian internet has done the analysis so you don’t have.

According to some, and contrary to US reports, one head of state was keener on the meeting than the other. Global Voices translated the tweet: “Remember the Ukrainian and American news headlines about ‘Putin begging Obama to meet’? Now it’s obvious who begged whom.”

But maybe feelings had changed by the time it got to dinner?

Netizens tried to push #Putinpeacemaker to the top of the trending charts, and for some, there was no doubt about who would come out of the negotiations as victor.

Others were adamant he was coming in love:

And the Kremlin-backed Sputink news agency parody account threw in its two cents:

In preparation for Putin’s UN speech, The Washington Post created its own Putin bingo for Russia-observers to play along at home:

It was not quite a full house:

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