chris is on assignment. john berman is joining us. the leaders sitting down, butting heads on big conflicts in ukraine and syria. >> the meeting was described by putin as surprisingly frank. how does the white house categorize it? let's ask cnn's white house correspondent michelle kosinski, live at the u.n. with the details. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: this went from something of a face-off here, dueling speeches, president obama slamming putin's choices. vladimir putin blaming the u.s. for many of the world's problems to face time between the two of them for the first time in more than two years. it seems to have gone about as well as anybody would expect, both sides calling it constructive, at least opening the door to more dialogue on isis and syria. >> reporter: with that stiff, sideline the handshake, preceded by an awkward, cold toast and