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World leaders and awkward handshakes: a brief history World leaders and awkward handshakes: a brief history
(35 minutes later)
If you haven’t already watched the clip of Obama and President Raúl Castro’s disastrous handshake at the end of their historical meeting in Cuba on Monday, you should. It was as if Castro wanted Obama to declare Obama the winner in a boxing match that he did not want to win: the Cuban president held Obama’s hand up above his head, but Obama let it go limp and left it hanging in Castro’s hand. It’s now been hailed as “the most awkward handshake in history”, but I don’t know about that. History is full of awkward greetings between world leaders. Here are six more. If you haven’t already watched the clip of Obama and President Raúl Castro’s disastrous handshake at the end of their historic meeting in Cuba on Monday, you should. It was as if Castro wanted Obama to declare Obama the winner in a boxing match that he did not want to win: the Cuban president held Obama’s hand up above his head, but Obama let it go limp and left it hanging in Castro’s hand. It’s now been hailed as “the most awkward handshake in history”, but I don’t know about that. History is full of awkward greetings between world leaders. Here are six more.
2015: John Kerry fumbles a French kiss with François Hollande2015: John Kerry fumbles a French kiss with François Hollande
“My visit to France is basically to share a big hug for Paris,” said the US secretary of state, John Kerry, on his way to visit President François Hollande in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. And that’s what he did, sort of. When Kerry arrived in Paris, he rushed to warmly embrace the French president, but when Hollande went to give Kerry a typical French greeting (une bise), Kerry fumbled – and for a moment it looked like the two men were about to start french kissing for real.“My visit to France is basically to share a big hug for Paris,” said the US secretary of state, John Kerry, on his way to visit President François Hollande in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. And that’s what he did, sort of. When Kerry arrived in Paris, he rushed to warmly embrace the French president, but when Hollande went to give Kerry a typical French greeting (une bise), Kerry fumbled – and for a moment it looked like the two men were about to start french kissing for real.
2014: Xi Jinping meets Shinzo Abe for the first time2014: Xi Jinping meets Shinzo Abe for the first time
This might have been more awkward than Obama v Castro. At a Pacific summit in 2014, the leaders of Japan and China met in person for the first time in two years, following a series of bitter disputes. But from the frostiness of the exchange, maybe it was too soon. China’s president, Xi Jinping, greeted the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, with a layer of ice that Val Kilmer would have been proud of in Top Gun. Abe’s face was a vision of chagrin.This might have been more awkward than Obama v Castro. At a Pacific summit in 2014, the leaders of Japan and China met in person for the first time in two years, following a series of bitter disputes. But from the frostiness of the exchange, maybe it was too soon. China’s president, Xi Jinping, greeted the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, with a layer of ice that Val Kilmer would have been proud of in Top Gun. Abe’s face was a vision of chagrin.
2006: George W Bush gives Angela Merkel a shoulder rub2006: George W Bush gives Angela Merkel a shoulder rub
You can just hear Bush saying: “Loosen up, Angie, it’s only a G8 summit! Heh heh heh.” At the 2006 summit in St Petersburg, George Bush was captured giving Germany’s leader a quick back rub. Merkel clearly was not enjoying the massage, and flung her hands up to stop him. The five-second video clip quickly went viral and was mashed up with Ludacris’s Get Back and the Police’s Message in a Bottle.You can just hear Bush saying: “Loosen up, Angie, it’s only a G8 summit! Heh heh heh.” At the 2006 summit in St Petersburg, George Bush was captured giving Germany’s leader a quick back rub. Merkel clearly was not enjoying the massage, and flung her hands up to stop him. The five-second video clip quickly went viral and was mashed up with Ludacris’s Get Back and the Police’s Message in a Bottle.
1992: George HW Bush vomits on Japan’s Kiichi Miyazawa1992: George HW Bush vomits on Japan’s Kiichi Miyazawa
Just a touch of the “stomach flu”, apparently caused President Bush to be sick during his state dinner with the Japanese prime minister, Kiichi Miyazawa. According to the New York Times, Miyazawa cradled Bush’s head until he was strong enough to get up on his own. It was a sort of beautifully human moment shared by two of the most powerful men in the world, but on the other hand, the president’s puke definitely got on Miyazawa’s lap.Just a touch of the “stomach flu”, apparently caused President Bush to be sick during his state dinner with the Japanese prime minister, Kiichi Miyazawa. According to the New York Times, Miyazawa cradled Bush’s head until he was strong enough to get up on his own. It was a sort of beautifully human moment shared by two of the most powerful men in the world, but on the other hand, the president’s puke definitely got on Miyazawa’s lap.
1975: Gerald Ford falls down steps of Air Force One in Austria1975: Gerald Ford falls down steps of Air Force One in Austria
I really like President Ford’s recovery after this one. (One of many stumbles, attributable to an old football injury, that provided Chevy Chase with all the material he’d need for his famous impersonation on Saturday Night Live). After tumbling down the stairs from the plane, he pops up and extends his hand to the Austrian chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.I really like President Ford’s recovery after this one. (One of many stumbles, attributable to an old football injury, that provided Chevy Chase with all the material he’d need for his famous impersonation on Saturday Night Live). After tumbling down the stairs from the plane, he pops up and extends his hand to the Austrian chancellor, Bruno Kreisky, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.