Vladimir Putin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin's much ballyhooed New York Times op-ed condemning U.S. intervention in Syria and American "exceptionalism" was actually placed in the newspaper by a public relations giant that has been around for 90 years. (Associated Press)

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Traditional Russian matryoshka wooden dolls depicting President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are on display in St. Petersburg on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, during the G-20 summit of world leaders. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

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** FILE ** President Barack participates in a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the Esperanza Resort in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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** FILE ** Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Sept. 12, 2013. (Associated Press)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at his meeting with elected region leaders in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Sept. 10, 2013. (Associated Press/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

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** FILE ** U.S. President Barack Obama, right, speaks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during arrivals for the G-20 summit at the Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a thorn in Obama's side throughout the unrest. He's said it's the rebels, not Assad, who has used chemical weapons. He's dispatched Russian warships to stalk American destroyers in the Mediterranean and threatened to side with Assad in the event of an American strike. (credit:AP)