A photo opportunity in Vietnam has given U. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin the chance to have a much-needed chat.
The White House decided against a formal sitdown between the leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, despite Kremlin officials talking up the prospect of a meeting. That left the interaction between the two limited to brief handshakes and hellos with other leaders in close proximity.
On Saturday, however, in the midst of the APEC leaders’ meeting and with hours before they each fly out of Danang, the two took a stroll to the site of the formal summit photograph on a hilltop overlooking the ocean at a five-star resort along Danang’s famed beachfront.
Footage showed the two walking together, with Putin gesticulating with his left hand as they talked. Since July their relationship has been strained by sanctions forced by Congress, U. diplomatic expulsions from Moscow, the U.’s inability thus far to prod Russia more on North Korea and Syria, and the intensifying investigation into Russia and Trump campaign officials by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The duo came at the tail end of the other leaders who reached the photo site and stood in two rows on their designated spots arranged on a podium adorned with a red carpet. In front of them were the words "APEC Vietnam 2017 Danang 11 November" written in yellow flowers. Trump and Putin stood next to each other in the middle of the back row and waved obligingly for the photographers.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull meanwhile walked down the path to the photo staging area heavily immersed in his phone. Perhaps checking in on the news he’d lost another lawmaker to a snafu over parliamentarians holding dual citizenship. The resignation of John Alexander, who said he may also hold British citizenship, leaves Turnbull with -- at least temporarily -- a minority in the key lower house of parliament.
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