International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin watch the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attend an economic forum in St.Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, pool)