Putin befriends world leaders at UN Millennium Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin turned the UN Millennium Summit into a marathon meet-and-greet, aiming to befriend as many world leaders as he could in just three days. He then capped his first visit to the United States with a television appearance on the Larry King Live Show, a must for any media-savvy leader.
His goal: To restore the global clout that Russia has lost since the Soviet collapse. From his first appearance at the summit, when he got out of his limousine, shirt-sleeved and hastily put on his formal jacket, Putin exuded briskness. He spent most of the summit's three days chatting with a long string of leaders - from Bill Clinton to Fidel Castro.
But unlike Boris Yeltsin's Russia, which had a limited range of partners, Putin seeks to expand their number by turning to leaders from different parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Putin's wry humour and stealthy style contrasted sharply with Yeltsin's bear hugs and boisterous manner. Where Yeltsin relished attracting attention with controversial statements and antics, Putin prefers a subtle conversation.

In his appearance on King's program, Putin displayed a rare agility in shooting down difficult questions ranging from the ongoing controversy with the United States on missile defences to his own past as a KGB spy. His performance was even more surprising given the fact that he mostly faces friendly questions and speaks in carefully orchestrated television slots at home.
Putin defended his handling of the Kursk submarine disaster, though he was quick to admit that he had made a public relations mistake by failing to quickly interrupt his vacation when the disaster occurred. He dismissed the allegations that his government was suppressing media freedom, saying that the claim was being spread by media tycoons who want to cover up their own flaws. Putin also promised to look into the case of Edmund Pope, an American businessman arrested on espionage charges in April, after a court makes a verdict.
Looking relaxed and speaking with ease, Putin offered an unorthodox look at the issue, saying that "intelligence can be that harmful" and then proudly spoke about his own KGB job, saying it was "interesting" and gave him "skills of dealing with people, with information." During the summit at the United Nations, he showed a talent for flattery, finding nice words for every leader he met.

He hailed Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides as "one of the most experienced European leaders," praised the elaborate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as "one of the most dynamic leaders in Latin America" and praised Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak for his courage in Mideast peace talks.
He also seemed eager to joke. "Congratulations on your wonderful speech," Putin told British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his only counterpart with whom he is on a first-name basis, after both had spoken at the Security Council session. "It instantly woke me up." "It's the best compliment," Blair responded with a smile.
Although Putin doesn't speak English, he is fluent in German - the language he spoke as a KGB intelligence officer in Eastern Germany during the late 1980s. Putin had a chance to speak it when he met with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. "He spoke very, very well, I was astonished," said Germany's ambassador to the United States, H. Juergen Chrobog.
Putin's interlocutors were all eager to praise him. "I have a very good impression of him, he is a very professional politician," Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said. The frenetic pace of Putin's meetings sometimes led to leaders nearly colliding with each other at his doors. A South African official who came to alert the Russians of the arrival of his president, Thabo Mbeki, almost broke into the room where Putin was still talking with Barak.

Although Putin's visit was his first trip to the United States since his election in March, he took in only a few side events in New York. At one, he and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan went to the Solomon Guggenheim Museum to take part in the opening of a Russian Avant Garde exhibition.
"It's the only kind of expansion by Russia which is possible in the United States - the cultural one," Putin said, winning loud applause. He also attended the signing ceremony for US Eximbank loan guarantees to Tyumen Oil, one of Russia's top four oil companies. The executives who gathered at the Russian UN mission for that ceremony had to wait for about half hour for Putin to complete his talks with an exuberant Castro next door.