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President Barack Obama said Russian President Vladimir Putin has the slouch of "the bored kid in the back of the classroom" even as he said the two leaders "don't have a bad personal" relationship.
Obama commented on Friday at a White House news conference shortly after "two plus two" talks in Washington between US and Russian foreign and defence ministers intended to bridge differences on issues including missile defence, the Syria conflict and human rights.
After Russia granted temporary asylum to Edward Snowden, the fugitive former US security contractor, Obama cancelled a planned stop in Moscow for a one-on-one meeting with Putin tied to next month's Group of 20 summit in St Petersburg. Obama said on Friday that, given "a number of emerging differences" it is "probably appropriate for us to take a pause" and to reassess the relationship.
Even so, US and Russian officials said the verbal sparring didn't prevent efforts to make progress, though the two sides have yet to resolve their differences. They said they're seeking to build on cooperation in areas of shared interests, such as curtailing Iran's nuclear activities and expanding military-to-military contacts.
"There's always been some tension in the US-Russian relationship," Obama said. "There's been a lot of good work that has been done" between the US and Russia and "a lot more will be done."
Obama said when the two leaders meet "the press likes to focus on body language," and Putin has "that kind of slouch."
