The Russian president seemed to be on a charm offensive on Friday as he met with his German counterpart. Vladimir Putin greeted Angela Merkel on the porch of his Sochi residence with a big bouquet of flowers.
READ MORE: Iran, Syria, energy: Whats in store for Putin-Merkel summit in Sochi (VIDEO)
Footage of the encounter shows the Russian leader greeting the German delegation on top of the stairs leading to the entrance of the residence. He shook Angela Merkels hand before presenting her with a big arrangement of white and pink flowers before inviting her in.
The Russian president has a reputation for gentlemanly gestures towards people he meets. In 2014, he put a shawl around the shoulders of Chinas First Lady Peng Liyuan during an APEC summit in Beijing.
Earlier this month, he dodged a potential PR disaster after his guards pushed aside a veteran as he tried to approach Putin, who was walking together with the leaders of Serbia and Israel to lay flowers at a World War II monument in Moscow. Putin noticed the situation and shooed away the guards, inviting the retired general to join the group.
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