In Photos: Vladimir Putin's Meetings With U.S. Presidents Over the Decades
In the quarter-century that Vladimir Putin has served as Russia's president or prime minister, he has met and worked with five different U.S. presidents.
While these meetings were generally warm during the Clinton and Bush years, they gradually grew more tense as relations spiraled downward over a litany of disagreements.
As he prepares to hold talks with President Donald Trump in Alaska aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, here's a look back at how Putin's past meetings with American leaders have gone:
While these meetings were generally warm during the Clinton and Bush years, they gradually grew more tense as relations spiraled downward over a litany of disagreements.
As he prepares to hold talks with President Donald Trump in Alaska aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, here's a look back at how Putin's past meetings with American leaders have gone:
June 4, 2000: Putin, who formally became president of Russia just three months before, hosted President Bill Clinton in Moscow.
Here, the two are pictured walking in front of the Tsar Cannon during a stroll around the Kremlin.
In their talks, which a Clinton administration official described to The New York Times as "businesslike," "congenial" and "easygoing," the two men discussed a wide range of issues, including U.S.-Russian nuclear relationship, conflicts in the Balkans and the Caucasus, international trade and the Russian economy.
Here, the two are pictured walking in front of the Tsar Cannon during a stroll around the Kremlin.
In their talks, which a Clinton administration official described to The New York Times as "businesslike," "congenial" and "easygoing," the two men discussed a wide range of issues, including U.S.-Russian nuclear relationship, conflicts in the Balkans and the Caucasus, international trade and the Russian economy.
Sergei Velichkin and Vladimir Rodionov / TASS
Sept. 7, 2000: Putin and President Bill Clinton at a luncheon for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
During a 90-minute meeting, the two discusses pro-democracy efforts in the Balkans, arms control, missile defense and continued Russian technology transfers to Iran.
The latter topic in particular brought the spikiest exchanges. But otherwise, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott called the meeting "comfortable and no-nonsense," and Putin reportedly joked that Clinton looked tired and needed two Diet Cokes as a pick-me-up.
During a 90-minute meeting, the two discusses pro-democracy efforts in the Balkans, arms control, missile defense and continued Russian technology transfers to Iran.
The latter topic in particular brought the spikiest exchanges. But otherwise, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott called the meeting "comfortable and no-nonsense," and Putin reportedly joked that Clinton looked tired and needed two Diet Cokes as a pick-me-up.
The White House Photograph Office
Nov. 15, 2000: Clinton appears with Putin in a bilateral meeting at the Assara Guest House in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, where the two discussed nuclear arms control, Korea, the Middle East and the detention of Edmond Pope, a U.S. citizen on trial in Russia on spying charges.
Stephen Jaffe / AFP
June 2001: Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush pictured after a summit in Brdo Castle outside Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Putin and Bush would meet 28 times during Bush’s two terms.
Putin and Bush would meet 28 times during Bush’s two terms.
Sergei Velichkin, Vladimir Rodionov / TASS
November 2001: Putin and Bush visiting Crawford High School in Crawford, Texas, a small town where Bush owned a ranch.
The two leaders forged a close partnership on the fight against terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack in the U.S. Putin himself was the first world leader to call Bush and offer his support following the attack.
"Being here I can feel the will of these people, the will to cooperate with the Russian Federation, the will to cooperate with Russia," Putin told the students. "And I can assure you that the Russian people fully share this commitment and is also committed to fully cooperating with the American people."
The two leaders forged a close partnership on the fight against terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack in the U.S. Putin himself was the first world leader to call Bush and offer his support following the attack.
"Being here I can feel the will of these people, the will to cooperate with the Russian Federation, the will to cooperate with Russia," Putin told the students. "And I can assure you that the Russian people fully share this commitment and is also committed to fully cooperating with the American people."
kremlin.ru
May 2002: President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Putin's then-wife Lyudmila Putina and President Vladimir Putin (L-R) pictured leaving the Grand Kremlin Palace after an official lunch.
The summit in Moscow saw the signing of a landmark treaty for the largest-ever reductions in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals — but the two leaders voiced public differences over Iran.
The summit in Moscow saw the signing of a landmark treaty for the largest-ever reductions in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals — but the two leaders voiced public differences over Iran.
Alexei Panov / TASS
2005: Putin with U.S. President George W. Bush during talks in Bratislava, Slovakia.
kremlin.ru
July 2007: Bush and Putin hold up a Russian samovar at the Bush family's estate in Walker's Point, Maine.
The invitation to Putin to visit Walker's Point "is patently an effort to patch up the worst relations between the United States and Russia since the Cold War," NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr said at the time.
Bilateral ties had been frayed by the U.S. invasion of Iraq, missile defense plans, the state of democracy in Russia, NATO expansion and disagreements over what each side viewed as meddling in former Soviet republics.
The invitation to Putin to visit Walker's Point "is patently an effort to patch up the worst relations between the United States and Russia since the Cold War," NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr said at the time.
Bilateral ties had been frayed by the U.S. invasion of Iraq, missile defense plans, the state of democracy in Russia, NATO expansion and disagreements over what each side viewed as meddling in former Soviet republics.
kremlin.ru
April 2008: Putin and former President George W. Bush in Sochi.
Bush visited Putin in the Black Sea resort city in hopes of mending ties after Russia opposed U.S. plans to expand a missile defense system in Europe.
Moscow had also been displeased by a NATO summit in Bucharest, during which the U.S. president pushed for Georgia and Ukraine to join the military bloc despite Russian resistance.
Bush would famously be filmed dancing to Russian folk music during this visit.
Bush visited Putin in the Black Sea resort city in hopes of mending ties after Russia opposed U.S. plans to expand a missile defense system in Europe.
Moscow had also been displeased by a NATO summit in Bucharest, during which the U.S. president pushed for Georgia and Ukraine to join the military bloc despite Russian resistance.
Bush would famously be filmed dancing to Russian folk music during this visit.
kremlin.ru
July 7, 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama, who had just been inaugurated in January, meets with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at his dacha outside Moscow.
The meeting was one of the first steps in the Obama administration's "reset" with Russia after tensions over the Russo-Georgian war and NATO expansion.
“I found him to be tough, smart, shrewd, very unsentimental, very pragmatic," Obama said after the meeting. "And on areas where we disagree, like Georgia, I don’t anticipate a meeting of the minds anytime soon.”
The meeting was one of the first steps in the Obama administration's "reset" with Russia after tensions over the Russo-Georgian war and NATO expansion.
“I found him to be tough, smart, shrewd, very unsentimental, very pragmatic," Obama said after the meeting. "And on areas where we disagree, like Georgia, I don’t anticipate a meeting of the minds anytime soon.”
Pete Souza / Official White House Photo
June 17, 2013: President Barack Obama meets Putin on the sidelines of the G8 Summit in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland.
The two leaders had a notably "testy" meeting, Reuters said, with Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and granting of asylum to Edward Snowden particular points of grievance.
The "reset," it appeared, had failed to resolve the deep diplomatic differences between the two powers.
The two leaders had a notably "testy" meeting, Reuters said, with Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and granting of asylum to Edward Snowden particular points of grievance.
The "reset," it appeared, had failed to resolve the deep diplomatic differences between the two powers.
Pete Souza / Official White House Photo
June 6, 2014: Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin after a lunch with other foreign leaders to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France.
The meeting came soon after Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea, a move not recognized by the international community, and provided tacit support to separatist forces waging war in eastern Ukraine.
Though the two initially appeared to ignore each other at the D-Day commemorations, they eventually spoke briefly.
“It was an informal conversation, not a formal bilateral meeting,” said Benjamin Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
The meeting came soon after Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea, a move not recognized by the international community, and provided tacit support to separatist forces waging war in eastern Ukraine.
Though the two initially appeared to ignore each other at the D-Day commemorations, they eventually spoke briefly.
“It was an informal conversation, not a formal bilateral meeting,” said Benjamin Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser.
Pete Souza / Official White House Photo
September 2016: Putin and President Obama met for the last time on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, where they held talks focused on Ukraine and Syria.
kremlin.ru
June 7, 2017: Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump meet for the first time at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.
At the meeting, Trump raised eyebrows by telling Putin it was “an honor” to meet him — especially following widespread reports of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election in Trump's favor.
At the meeting, Trump raised eyebrows by telling Putin it was “an honor” to meet him — especially following widespread reports of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election in Trump's favor.
kremlin.ru
November 2017: Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at the APEC Economic Leaders' meeting in Vietnam, where Trump said he had "good discussions" with Putin.
On Twitter, he blasted “haters and fools” who he said did not encourage good relations between Washington and Moscow.
On Twitter, he blasted “haters and fools” who he said did not encourage good relations between Washington and Moscow.
kremlin.ru
June 28, 2019: Putin and President Donald Trump at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, where the two leaders held a closed-door meeting.
At a joint press conference, Trump hailed his "very, very good" relationship with Putin and said a lot of "positive things" would come from it.
When asked by a journalist if he would press Putin to ensure that Russia does not meddle in future U.S. elections, Trump playfully said: "Of course I will," before pointing at Putin and saying: "don't interfere in the election."
At a joint press conference, Trump hailed his "very, very good" relationship with Putin and said a lot of "positive things" would come from it.
When asked by a journalist if he would press Putin to ensure that Russia does not meddle in future U.S. elections, Trump playfully said: "Of course I will," before pointing at Putin and saying: "don't interfere in the election."
kremlin.ru
June 16, 2021: Putin shakes hands with President Joe Biden before the start of bilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland, the two leaders' first and only in-person meeting during Biden's presidency.
Both presidents agreed to return their respective ambassadors after they were recalled earlier that year and to start working on cybersecurity cooperation — but remained divided on issues like the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
The Kremlin also said there was “still no reason” to remove the U.S. from Russia's list of “unfriendly countries.”
Both presidents agreed to return their respective ambassadors after they were recalled earlier that year and to start working on cybersecurity cooperation — but remained divided on issues like the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
The Kremlin also said there was “still no reason” to remove the U.S. from Russia's list of “unfriendly countries.”
kremlin.ru
Dec. 7, 2021: Putin meets with U.S. President Joe Biden via a video call at his office in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi.
Despite the efforts of Biden and other Western leaders to dissuade him from doing so, Putin would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite the efforts of Biden and other Western leaders to dissuade him from doing so, Putin would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
kremlin.ru
