How Vladimir Putin kept world leaders waiting

In 2014, the Russian leader made Angela Merkel wait for over four hours

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a reputation for being late, especially when it comes to meeting world leaders.

The Russian leader has kept many dignitaries waiting on numerous occasions. Even a meeting with the Pope couldn’t compel Putin to be punctual. The president of the Russian Federation often keeps aides-de-camp waiting for hours as planned meetings seldom take place on time.



Data compiled by Statista for The Independent has revealed how Putin kept several foreign dignitaries waiting for hours over 2003-2016. It seems German Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered worst at his hands.  On one occasion in 2014, Putin made Merkel wait for a tormenting four hours and 15 minutes. Former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych also had to wait four hours for a meeting in 2012.

A three-hour wait is also routine. Leaders from Japan, Mongolia and Israel were also forced to wait that long to meet the the Russian leader.

Putin first made headlines for his tardiness when he kept Britain's Queen Elizabeth II waiting for almost fifteen minutes. In 2015, Pope Francis had to wait for nearly an hour before he met Putin at the Vatican City.



In the wake of the late start, a statement explaining the delay was issued for the first time. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blamed Italian traffic after Putin asked aides to issue a clarification.

It has been widely speculated that Putin keeps leaders waiting to leave an impression of authority. However, an unidentified source quoted by Moscow daily newspaper Moskovskij Komsomolets said, “Before important meetings he often double-checks sources of information, delves into things, as a result he gets behind schedule.”

Here’s a chart of all the leaders of the world who have been kept waiting to meet the Russian leader on various occasions.

Image: Statista/Independent

 

This article originally appeared on The Independent.