Vladimir Putin ‘Speculated’ To Meet Barack Obama On Sidelines Of UN General Assembly

The U.S. President Barack Obama is speculated to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

While there is no confirmation from the White House yet, Russian news agency Tass refers to an “informed source” to report that two of world’s most powerful leaders will meet next week. “I cannot confirm [Obama’s] plans regarding meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly,” a US administration source told Tass. “The presidential schedule is still in the making."

Putin is going to address the 70th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York Monday. The Russian President is also supposed to hold a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

This will be Putin’s first visit to the United States since 2005. The Russian LGBT community and the Ukrainian-American community in New York are apparently going to stage protests against the Russian leader upon his arrival.

According to Mashable, the Russian leader is one of the few people to watch at the U.N. General Assembly. The two primary reasons why Putin is much talked about in recent times are the Russia annexation of Crimea and his support for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Russia is also reportedly deploying dozens of fighter jets and 2,000 military personnel in Syria.

Politico reported that the U.S. was “perplexed” by Russia’s Syria ploy. The Obama administration has not been able to figure out what prompted Putin to be so much involved in the Syrian conflict.

“Even if Putin’s help can’t prevent Assad from sinking, he is now positioned to play a role in choosing Assad’s successor,” Politico quoted a U.S. intelligence official as saying. "There’s no doubt Putin views Syria as an opportunity to build a significant presence in the region and establish Russia as the lead player.”