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Neither President Bush nor his aides reacted definitively to the surprise idea, Putin's second in less than a month on the topic that has sent U.S.-Russian relations into a tailspin.
But with all Bush's efforts, it was Putin who appeared to leave Kennebunkport with the upper hand — a situation aptly, if coincidentally, illustrated by Putin's singular success among their group at outsmarting fish.
On substantive issues, the Russian leader appeared to neither lose ground or give any.
He emphasized more talking with Iran about its suspected nuclear weapons program over the tougher U.N. sanctions on Tehran that Bush wants. There was no sign that Putin came closer to the Western view that the Serbian province of Kosovo should be allowed independence. Most dramatically, Putin again showed up at a meeting with Bush with a proposal on missile defense that caught the president off guard.
As Putin said at the end of his appearance with Bush before reporters on the sun-drenched lawn of Walker's Point's main stone-and-shingle home: "We are here to play."
As a result, Putin traveled on to Guatemala for a decision meeting on the site for the 2014 winter Olympics likely boosted in the eyes of the world by the respectful treatment and lavish compliments given him by the globe's only superpower.
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