Putin arrives in London for Olympics

  • 12 years ago
British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Downing Street on Thursday (August 2).

Black belt Russian President Vladimir Putin will lock horns with British leader David Cameron over Syria and human rights during a day of judo diplomacy at the Olympics on Thursday at a time when relations between their two nations are strained.

Cameron will push the former KGB spy to take a tougher line on Syria, Russia's firmest foothold in the Middle East, and stop blocking Western-backed resolutions aimed at stepping up pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

He is also expected to raise concerns about what Putin critics see as an intensifying Kremlin campaign to silence dissent and discredit Russia's opposition movement.

Later in the day, Cameron is expected to take Putin, the honorary president of the International Judo Federation, to an Olympic arena to watch judo finals together

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