At Dinner With Putin, Menu Of Crimean Flounder And Russian Grievances
By Paul Ingrassia
ST PETERSBURG, Russia Sun May 25, 2014 10:08am EDT
(Reuters) - You can't say Vladimir Putin lacks a pointed sense of humor. The entrée at the Russian president's dinner for news agency editors on Saturday night was "Crimean flounder." No kidding.
As dinner was ending in the ornate Konstantinovsky Palace, Putin was asked whether he speaks regularly with U.S. president Barack Obama.
"We have some contacts," he shrugged. "But now I have to go speak with Mr. (Francois) Hollande and Mrs. (Angela) Merkel," the French president and the German chancellor, respectively.
With that he gave a champagne toast, and left.
But before that he spoke at length on many topics during a three-hour interview before and during a seven-course dinner that included "soft smoked sturgeon salad" and "white asparagus soup with black caviar" as well as the recently Russified flounder.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/25/us-russia-putin-idUSBREA4O03G20140525
