President Obama and Russian President Putin had an informal meeting Sunday while in Turkey for the Group of 20 Summit, two days after Paris was shook by a string of violent attacks.
The meeting was closed to the press, but Pete Souza, the White House’s official photographer, posted a photo of the world leaders, flanked by National Security Adviser Susan Rice and a Russian aide, leaning into the discussion.
President Obama talks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the G20 Summit.
Another angle on the meeting – captured by the Washington Post from video of the summit – shows how impromptu the face-to-face was, with the power circle seated in the corner of lounge room while aides make coffee.
The White House confirmed the talk lasted about 35 minutes, and said Obama and Putin agreed on the necessity for “a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition,” the Post reported. A Kremlin source said the meeting clocked in at 20 minutes and that the leaders did not agree on tactics.
