Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have grabbed the spotlight once again. And social media isn't sparing the rod this time around.
In their recent meeting on Tuesday, the Russian President's "badassery" came to the fore as he kept the US President waiting for more than an hour before their scheduled phone call to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war.During their interaction, Trump had sought a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but after an extended delay and a week of heightened conflict, their efforts produced little beyond a small prisoner swap, scheduled hockey matches, and further talks.
Netizens being netizens, put their best memes forward:
What went down
According to the Kremlin’s official readout, the only significant outcome was a mutual agreement to pause attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a month.
Bloomberg reported that the two leaders eventually spoke for an hour and a half, with Putin rejecting Trump’s ceasefire request.
Trump felt he could either persuade, coax, or outsmart Putin. He has yet to do any of that. He has palpably lost in their first direct diplomatic face-off.
The diplomatic setback for the U.S. has left millions of Ukrainians in uncertainty, as Trump's next move could shape the course of the ongoing war.
Putin's rare smirk
Prior to the call, Putin was attending an event in Moscow, where he was filmed laughing off a warning about being late. The Russian leader was addressing industrialists and businessmen at an annual event, according to The Sun.
The Kremlin’s apparent disregard for the urgency of the call has been perceived as a symbolic power play, adding to the notion that Putin holds the upper hand in this geopolitical standoff.