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The 15-20 minute incident that happened today at Palam Airport has set the tone of the entire tour. Putin’s smile, Modi’s hug and that ‘one car’, these three things together have shown that this summit is not just diplomatic but also emotional. Putin’s relaxed body language proved that Delhi is like a ‘second home’ for him.
Words are important in diplomacy, but pictures write history. Today, when Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special plane stopped on the runway at Palam Airport in Delhi, the eyes of the world were fixed on that door. But as soon as the plane door opened and Putin came out, what was seen destroyed the Western narrative of the last several months in an instant. While coming down the stairs, there was neither the stress of war nor the wrinkle of international pressure on Putin’s face. There was a cheerful smile on his face, a smile that showed that he had not come on a ‘foreign tour’, but had come to the house of his most trusted friend.
Breaking the protocol, PM Modi himself welcomed him at the airport. But the most historic moment was when both the leaders left for the Prime Minister’s residence in the same white SUV instead of separate limousines.
