my initial reaction: it cuts off before the first handshake? ... the timing and depth seem off... isnt obama introducing the guy to the others?

but i cant tell, so i looked at the youtube comments and people are split...

"At the very beginning of this video, it is Medvedev that puts his hand out first to guide Obama and gesture toward the line-up, so I do not think it was a matter of Obama making the introductions as some are suggesting. Looks like Obama makes a couple of obvious attempts at a handshake and after being snubbed, he continues to put his hand out like it's a gesture of acknowledgement to cover the snubs. The title of this video seems accurate." -yt comment

really cant tell

well I can tell. He's totally being blocked. you can see his face turning either red or white... whichever color they turn when somebody is pissed off.

Is Obama in Russia now or did this happen some time ago?

He's not getting snubbed.

Watch the last two interactions. He isnt even close enough to shake hands. The first one, when they enter the room, is definitely a handshake. You can see Medvedev gesture (the same way Obama does later) towards those he wishes to introduce. It is then edited to a later stage where it appears Obama is the one doing the introducing.

If you look at the room they are all on one side so both the Russian and American delegation would be there. I would say that it was the Russians being introduced first and then vice-versa. Why would Medvedev be shaking hands and saying "hello" in a way that you do when you are first being introduced to multiple people to members of his own staff? Obama seems to extend his arm forward when ignored but he also steps back a little. I think this is just making up for a delay in Medvedevs shaking on the previous shake.

Either he was being snubbed and then converted it to a gesturing towards people he is introducing (a George Costanza type move) or he was gesturing from the edit onwards.

It's edited to make it look like a snub, this is a clip from Obama's visit to Moscow in 2009. It looks to me like both Russian and American staff are in the same line-up with Obama being introduced to the Russians first, then Obama doing the same for Medvedev by introducing his people with an extended hand gesture ('cos it's rude to point). Same video from a different camera angle below.

well I be damned... I was wrong!

And I was right... HAPPY DANCE!

what a load of nonsense ,

All cultured people know that Russians do a direct hand to penis shake.

*promote manipulation

Self promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Thursday, December 1st, 2011 10:35pm PST - promote requested by original submitter deathcow.