He said observers shouldn’t jump to conclusions about how he and Obama work together or get along based on body language, and that the two have been elected to represent their nations. Some conflicts are thus unavoidable, he said.

{mosads}“President Obama hasn’t been elected by the American people in order to be pleasant to Russia,” Putin said. “And your humble servant hasn’t been elected by the people of Russia to be pleasant to someone either.”

Obama is likely to meet Putin this week at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg. He canceled a planned trip to Moscow after Russia granted National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden asylum.

Putin told the AP he was sorry Obama canceled the meeting.

The two countries also differ over Syria, with Russia standing as a critical foe to Obama’s plans for a U.S. strike.

Putin said he hopes he and Obama can have serious discussions about Syria in St. Petersburg.