Sharp divisions in ideologies over how to handle the civil war in Syria led to a chilly encounter between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 Summit on Monday, the LA Times reported.
Putin and Obama held their first face-to-face meeting in a year at the summit of the world's richest countries days after it was announced the CIA would begin supplying arms and ammunition to some opposition forces in hopes of shifting the military balance from Syrian Bashar al Assad.
The two respective presidents expressed support for still unscheduled Syrian peace negotiations in Geneva, but offered no sign of progress in ending a war that has killed at least 93.000 people, according to human rights groups. Syria's most powerful ally is Russia, which has sent weapons to Assad's forces and is considering deliveries of sophisticated antiaircraft missile batteries .
Obama noted that he and Putin had "differing perspectives" on Syria but said they both sought to reduce the bloodshed and secure Assad's arsenal of chemical weapons. "We want to try to resolve the issue through political means if possible," he said.
"Of course our opinions don't coincide," Putin responded. But he said he hoped "to solve the situation peacefully" and said they "agreed to push the parties to the negotiations table."
Obama noted that he and Putin had "differing perspectives" on Syria but said they both sought to reduce the bloodshed and secure Assad's arsenal of chemical weapons. "We want to try to resolve the issue through political means if possible," he said.
"Of course our opinions don't coincide," Putin responded. But he said he hoped "to solve the situation peacefully" and said they "agreed to push the parties to the negotiations table."
Obama tried to lighten the mood by joking about their favorite sports. He cited Putin's expertise in judo and "my declining skills in basketball." Then he added, "And we both agree that as you get older, it takes more time to recover."
"The president wants to relax me with his statement, Putin said.
Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes characterized the two-hour meeting as "businesslike."
After meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London, Putin described the anti-Assad forces as lawless thugs and cannibals.
"I believe one does not really need to support the people who not only kill their enemies, but open up their bodies, eat their intestines in front of the public gaze and cameras," Putin said, a reference to video posted online that appeared to show a rebel fighter cutting open the body of a loyalist soldier. "Are these the people you want to support?"
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