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Putin to Skip Group of 8 Session, Delaying Postelection Meeting With Obama
Source: New York Times
Putin to Skip Group of 8 Session, Delaying Postelection Meeting With Obama
By HELENE COOPER and ELLEN BARRY
Published: May 9, 2012
WASHINGTON — Russia’s newly inaugurated president, Vladimir V. Putin, will not attend a summit meeting of world leaders in Maryland next week, the White House said on Wednesday, postponing until June the much-anticipated first meeting of President Obama and Mr. Putin as the leaders of their respective countries.
The surprising White House announcement, which came after a telephone call between the men, serves to underscore what appears to be a difficult start to their relationship.
It comes two months after Mr. Putin was elected for a third time to the Russian presidency following a campaign during which he used strident anti-American language, at one point accusing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of trying to stoke political unrest in Russia.
After the election, the Obama administration debated how to respond, with some officials favoring strong condemnation of the results. The White House ultimately settled on a tempered statement, not directly congratulating Mr. Putin but saying that the United States looked forward to working with him. But Mr. Obama pointedly took several days to call Mr. Putin to congratulate him; by contrast, he called François Hollande within hours of his victory over Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential elections on Sunday.
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By HELENE COOPER and ELLEN BARRY
Published: May 9, 2012
WASHINGTON — Russia’s newly inaugurated president, Vladimir V. Putin, will not attend a summit meeting of world leaders in Maryland next week, the White House said on Wednesday, postponing until June the much-anticipated first meeting of President Obama and Mr. Putin as the leaders of their respective countries.
The surprising White House announcement, which came after a telephone call between the men, serves to underscore what appears to be a difficult start to their relationship.
It comes two months after Mr. Putin was elected for a third time to the Russian presidency following a campaign during which he used strident anti-American language, at one point accusing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of trying to stoke political unrest in Russia.
After the election, the Obama administration debated how to respond, with some officials favoring strong condemnation of the results. The White House ultimately settled on a tempered statement, not directly congratulating Mr. Putin but saying that the United States looked forward to working with him. But Mr. Obama pointedly took several days to call Mr. Putin to congratulate him; by contrast, he called François Hollande within hours of his victory over Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential elections on Sunday.
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Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/world/europe/white-house-says-putin-will-skip-g-8-meeting-at-camp-david.html