Tips on bilateral ties from Putin
Published: 20 November, 2009, 12:24
Edited: 22 November, 2009, 12:04
TAGS: Meeting, Putin, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Thrills&Spills, Politics, Saakashvili, Yushchenko
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili have got some useful advice on preserving ties from the Russian prime minister.
Vladimir Putin commented on their meeting in Kiev, which coincided with his meeting with Ukrainian PM Yulia Timoshenko.
Putin: I don't have the slightest idea what our colleagues were doing, but I think two presidents always have something to talk about, something to discuss, places to visit – like it says in a Russian poem – "The soldiers were looking back to the past, remembering battles together they lost".
We are going to dinner now, my colleague invited me, and we are going to talk about Chekhov. What else could I recommend? It is better for the two Presidents to not wear ties to dinner, if they are in fact going to eat dinner. Ties are expensive these days. Just to be on a safe side… If you know what I mean.
Timoshenko: Well, I know I am not wearing a tie to dinner.
Putin: We don't want Yushchenko's guest to swallow his tie.
The comments were clearly a reference to an infamous incident last year, when Saakashvili was seen chewing on his tie during a live TV broadcast at the time of the war in South Ossetia. Vladimir Putin also suggested the two leaders could discuss their failures.
Meanwhile, in Kiev, while calling for a reconsideration of the Russian-Ukrainian gas deals during his media conference with Mikhail Saakashvili on Thursday, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko confused President Medvedev’s name and patronymic, calling him Anatoly Dmitrievich instead of Dmitry Anatolievich. Then the Ukrainian leader continued, without correcting himself.
20.11.2009, 10:13
1 comment
Teenage Georgian prisoners: smugglers or political pawns?Four Georgian teenagers caught at the South Ossetian border with explosives and grenades have made it to the center of a growing international row, and now could be exchanged in return for South Ossetian detainees. |
20.11.2009, 13:56
5 comments
National anthem not a hymn, say communistsRussian communists proposed on Tuesday to change the text of the Russian national anthem to exclude the mention of God. |
World leaders all play the game. No offense to Putin and Medvedev since they are the higher intelligent of our species on the planet at this time and clearly THEIR RESTRAINT more than proves it -- how dare the "west" be partners with them and yet, slit their throats from behind while pulling the magic carpet of transnational investors from under their feet. All the while pretending to be in a modern time and cooperation to the free market. FREE? yes for the criminally insane who have been caught being cannibals which Medvedev and Putin are not. Restraining our human beast in the 21st Century is definitely an important first step in understanding how to have dinners in the future with others who continue to believe in the idea of colonialism and love the taste of cannibalism - just ask all the poor and less weapons equipped of Georgia, Ukraine, Kosovo, Tbilisi, et al.
Oh really? You think Putin is unrestrained? I think Putin and Medvedev have shown great restraint. Its not becoming of anyone on Russia's border to invite 25,000 US troops into the country...and as a US taxpayer, I do not like the fact that these idiots in Washington are using money we don't have and borrow from China to arm Saakashvilli to the teeth...for WHAT? Who has Putin invaded? Bush and Obama are invading everywhere! We will see how restrained any US president would be if 25,000 Russians arrived in Mexico! You people are so freaking hypocritical, its starting to get on my nerves.
Pauline, no, we are generally saying we liked what Putin said. Few people here are fans of Saakashvili. I am also a US taxpayer who was furious last year at the Georgian war. It was not enough that we already were fighting two wars, but our government had to start another one in the Caucasus, and it was really a proxy war against Russia. Saakashvili is a stooge, a US puppet, and he is not worth the money we keep pouring into his hands. It's just nice to hear Putin getting his digs in. 8^D