Inside the Obama-Putin power huddle

Suddenly the video on the big screen in the press room, piped in from a remote camera provided by the host, opens into a large hotel reception hall -- where for a few fascinating minutes you are the fly on the wall, hanging around the ultimate cocktail party packed with the world's most powerful figures, watching what transpires.

But you don't actually have to be there, which means they act much more naturally than when the White House press corps is visibly present.

There is less awkardness than one might expect. Like any proper cocktail party full of folks who have love/hate relationships (or in many cases, pure hate), you fully anticipate seeing a few strained conversations going down. Or maybe some glimpses of more popular presidents starting to look round the room for someone cooler to chat with or the odd semi-dictator standing off to the side by himself.

But with this crowd, a virtual walk through the room reveals much warmth: animated conversations, the sense that many know each other well and are very happy to spend some moments together more casually, outside of meetings.

There's India's Narendra Modi intently chatting, using his hands for emphasis. There's the Saudi delegation adjusting their matching shiny golden robes as they enter the room together and walk around regally. President Xi of China smiling while listening to someone's world leader smalltalk. And no one is the awkward loner standing off to the side.

But wait -- what's that? Over in a corner by the bar, not even a quiet corner in this huge, crowded room, the camera seems to stumble upon a powwow that makes the press room jump up and rush to the screen for a better look. Yes, it is -- Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin and a member of each of their delegations, sitting in small chairs that you'd find in any hotel lounge, all leaning in, heads slightly bowed, looking extremely serious. The men are clearly engaged in a deep conversation that ended up going on for more than a half hour.

White House administration officials say it just happens like this sometimes. It's easy to forget there might be a TV camera present, when it's just one camera. But they do worry about the audio leaking out, when it's supposed to be, you know, private.

One official said there have even been times during such pull-asides when other world leaders have started taking pictures and videos of the meetings with their iPhones!

Not cool, apparently. Definitely a presidential cocktail party faux pas. Rookie move.

Later, the White House released a summary of the Obama-Putin huddle, calling it "constructive" and "centered around ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria."

(CNN)