Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in London on Thursday for informal talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron and to visit some of the Olympic judo events.
The one-day trip, Putin’s first to Britain in nine years, will see the Russian leader discuss the Syrian conflict and energy cooperation with Cameron, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia’s Tagir Khaibulaev and Vera Moskalyuk are due to fight later Thursday at the ExCeL Arena.
Putin is a judo black belt and starred in the instructional video Let’s Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin in 2008.
Relations between Britain and Russia have cooled significantly since Putin’s last visit, after the 2006 poisoning death of former security officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.
Britain accuses Russia of harboring its main suspect, Andrei Lugovoi.