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Isn't the G8 supposed to alleviate global tensions? Obama and Putin put on deeply awkward show of unity after disastrous meeting at summit
- Russian and U.S. presidents held bilateral meeting at G8 Summit in Northern Ireland on Monday
- Putin told Obama that their positions on Syria do not 'coincide'
By Louise Boyle
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President Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin put on an almost comically awkward show of unity for the cameras today as they made virtually no eye contact and grimaced as the other spoke following a bilateral meeting at the G8 Summit.
Obama tilted his chair away from the Russian president who fidgeted with his fingers and tapped his feet.
Putin slumped down in his seat, leaned heavily on the arm rests and stared into the distance at the scenic backdrop of Lough Erne. The usually effusive Obama, who is never short of hugs for fellow leaders, did not raise a smile, his shoulders hunched and jaw working hard on a piece of gum.
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Distant relations: President Obama looks grim as Russian president Vladimir Putin stares at the floor during a bilateral press conference at the Lough Erne resort near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland on Monday
Frosty: Obama glances away as he discusses the progress made at the meeting between the U.S. and Russia while Putin fidgeted with his hands
Tough calls: Obama and Putin admitted that they did not agree over the their Syrian conflict as the U.S. arms rebel forces and Russian continues to back President Assad
The palpable tension in the room was evident after fraught discussions between the U.S. and Russia on Syria's bloody civil war.
Putin told Obama that their positions on Syria do not 'coincide' but they conceded that they have a shared interest in stopping the violence that has ravaged the Middle Eastern country during a two-year-old civil war.
Obama acknowledged in the bilateral meeting that they have a 'different perspective' on Syria but he said that both leaders wanted to address the fierce fighting and also wanted to secure chemical weapons in the country.
The words rang out hollowly in the press room as both leaders' body language appeared to show that little progress had been made on the brutal civil war which has left more than 90,000 Syrians dead.
Hostile: Obama and Putin's tensions were palpable despite the relative emptiness of the room
Direct engagement: The two presidents have a rare moment of eye contact during the meeting at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland
I'm off! Obama makes a quick getaway while Putin puffs his cheeks and holds his ground following the awkward moment in front of the world's cameras
The U.S. president said both sides would work to develop talks in Geneva aimed at ending Syria's bloody civil war.
With steel in his voice, Obama added: 'We want to try to resolve the issue through political means if possible.'
While Putin has called for negotiated peace talks, he has not urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power, and he remains one of Assad's strongest political and military allies.
Good talk? Obama and Putin went in for a handshake at the end of the press conference
Shake on it, buddy: Obama and Putin grip hands following the tense display in Northern Ireland
Global tensions: There appeared to be no love lost between Obama and Putin today