The White House says President Barack Obama will meet privately this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) and French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH’ oh-lAWND’). The meetings are on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit.
Obama will arrive in Russia on Thursday. The White House says there are no plans for Obama to meet formally with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but they will speak at G-20 meetings.
Obama was planning to meet with Putin in Moscow ahead of the G-20, but he canceled after Russia granted National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden asylum.Hollande has backed Obama’s calls for a military strike against Syria but says he’s waiting for a decision from Congress. (AP