There couldn’t have been a more dramatic venue for the G-20 summit than Saint Petersburg, Russia. That’s because the recent diplomatic stand-off on a military intervention in Syrian has seen Washington and Moscow square off in the rudest possible way.

The power tensions over Syria have overshadowed the other main agenda on the plate -- the global economic crisis.

Our own Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, must be breathing easy in St Petersburg after having gone through financial and political thunderstorms back home.

Rediff.com brings for you some behind-the-scenes moments from the G-20 summit.

WARNING: Satire ahead

In the photo above we see a US President Barack Obama exchange a cold handshake with his Russian counterpart and G-20 host, Vladimir Putin.

Putin’s reported threat to bomb Saudi Arabia in the eventuality of a US strike on Syria doesn’t seem to have gone down well with Obama

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United Nations Secretary-General seems to be trying too hard to convince Barack Obama that airstrikes on Syria will backfire on him like it did for his predecessors.

Obama though looks like he is keener to know the menu of the working dinner.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen placing a shawl around German Chancellor Angela Merkel before watching a fragment of the ballet ‘Ruslan and Lyudmila’ during the G20 Summit.

The ballet tells the story of the abduction of Ludmila, the daughter of Prince Vladimir of Kiev by an evil wizard, and the attempt by the brave knight Ruslan to find and rescue her.

Wonder when Angela will find her Ruslan who will resolve the Euro crisis.

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British Prime Minister David Cameron appears lost in the melee of leaders.

Cameron still seems to be nursing the injury sustained when the lower house of UK parliament voted against his Syrian plans by 285 to 272 votes.

Pssssst…. He still strongly believes Assad used Sarin on Syrians.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seen checking the mobile app that measures radiation levels at Fukushima real-time while waiting for US President Barack Obama (not seen) to arrive for their meeting at the G20 summit

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Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff seems to be giving manicure lessons to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they pose for a picture after a BRICS leaders' meeting at the G20 Summit in Strelna.

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Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf @G20 Summit in St Petersburg: Even Saudi army commandos don’t take such high-risk assignments. I am not paid enough riyals to eat Russian salad inside the lion’s den.

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Putin to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff: Querida, let’s spoil Obama’s Syrian adventures. <Adding two more spoonfuls of playfulness> I know you won’t disappoint me.

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Putin to UN chief Ban Ki-moon: Dude, I hope you remember my officers walked out of UNSC meet last month. So, be my guest, and enjoy the party.

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