Komsomolskaya Pravda (Moscow): "KGB SET UP PUTIN’S MEETING WITH REAGAN IN MOSCOW"
Yesterday, President Obama's personal photographer Pete Souza surprised his photo-journalist colleagues in the US and in Russia by making a sensational discovery in his old film.
Evidently, during President Ronald Reagan's visit to Moscow in 1988, one of the KGB agents assigned to watch over his trip was Vladimir Putin. According to Souza, who was traveling with the president, when Reagan went for a walk in Red Square, the KGB set up a meet with Vladimir Putin who was posing as a tourist. As a proof of his story, Souza has the photograph he made twenty years ago that allegedly shows Mr Putin on it.
With all due respect to the old master, his eyesight must have let him down... First of all, it is no secret that Mr Putin worked for the KGB's foreign intelligence unit, specialising in German affairs, and was stationed in Dresden at the time. Why would they send Putin of all agents to a set-up meeting with President Reagan in Moscow? There does not seem to be any logic here. Second, there is no watch on the tourist's right wrist. So where is Mr Putin's watch? Did they forget to equip him with one at the KGB?
If we take a careful look at the tourist's face, we can recognize the charming militia captain from the film about the adventures of Italians in Russia, played by Andrey Mironov. Too bad Mr Obama's photographer has not seen the film.
In the film, the captain was indeed set up to meet some guests from Italy. It would be worth sending a copy of the film to Mr Souza so that he can see for himself.
