Valeri Bure - about dinner with Putin: if we had plans, we would cancel them

Former striker for a number of NHL clubs Valeri Bure, the younger brother of Pavel Bure, told how in late 2001 they met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Washington.

“Before the Olympics in Salt Lake City, I think in December, Pavel called and asked if I would like to fly to Washington to meet with Vladimir Putin. I'm like, "What?" Pavel to me: "Yes, yes, Putin wanted to meet with us."

Of course I was in favor. After training, we got on a plane and flew to Washington. Pavel and Vyacheslav Fetisov were there with me . Putin had five minutes to talk to us at the Russian embassy, and then he says: “Do you have plans for the evening? Maybe we can have dinner together? " And we: "If we had any plans, we would have canceled them."

We went to a steakhouse and spent more than two hours there. Then we flew home, returned only at two or three in the morning, and after a short nap we had training. During the day I turned on the TV, and there the news showed a meeting between Putin and George W. Bush in the White House. I could not believe that I had dinner with him recently, "Bure said in the Epicenter telegram channel, referring to The Athletic.