France President Hollande Holds Seperate Dinner Obama and Putin in France Due To Ukraine Crisis

President Obama and President François Hollande of France, right, joined by Secretary of State John Kerry, had a dinner at a restaurant in Paris on Thursday. 

 Gourmand though he may be, it seems highly improbable that President François Hollande of France was moved by appetite alone to host two successive dinners here on Thursday night.

Nor was it most likely a question of irreconcilable tastes among his guests: Both President Obama and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia tend to favor lean, healthy fare, and both make some willing exceptions, especially for ice cream. Another pic after cut

Rather, the diplomatic tensions brought on by the crisis in Ukraine compelled Mr. Hollande to schedule two separate meals, the first at a Michelin-starred restaurant off the Champs-Élysées with Mr. Obama, the second, two hours later, just down the hill at the presidential palace with Mr. Putin. The second meal was no more than a “light supper,” Mr. Hollande’s office insisted.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr. Hollande joined Mr. Obama, along with the leaders of five other major powers, in condemning Mr. Putin’s annexation of Crimea. But France, like other European nations, has economic reasons to maintain cordial relations with Russia. Despite explicit opposition from the United States, France remains on track to deliver two advanced warships to Russia in the coming years.

Two hours later, President Vladimir Putin of Russia with Mr. Hollande after their meeting and dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Thursday. 

Source- The NewYork Times