Bush on Medvedev: No soul-gazing, just "a smart guy."

Who could forget President Bush's declaration seven years ago, upon meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, that "I was able to get a sense of his soul"?

Bush has met the new Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, on two previous occasions, but their sit-down today in Toyako, Japan, on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit, was their first since Medvedev took office two months ago.

So, what did Bush have to say about his Russian counterpart?

"I found him to be a smart guy," Bush pronounced -- stepping back this time from anything that would suggest gazing deep into the inner being of the Russian president.

"You know, I'm not going to sit here and psychoanalyze the man, but I will tell you that he's very comfortable, he's confident, and that I believe that when he tells me something, he means it," Bush added.

And of course, in the photo-op after the meeting, it was all "Dmitry" and "George."

For the White House transcript of the photo op, click here.

--James Gerstenzang

Photo: Dmitry Astakhov / Ria Novosti-EPA

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