Austria’s foreign minister has revealed that she "did not expect" Vladimir Putin to accept the invitation to her wedding. She also rejected the spin that her curtseying after dancing with Putin was a sign of submission, RT reported.

Speaking publicly for the first time since her August 18 wedding to multi-millionaire Wolfgang Meilinger, Karin Kneissl admitted to O1 radio station that Putin's attendance at the "magnificent celebration" surprised her.

Photos quickly circulated of Kneissl and Putin sharing a dance at the wedding, though some critics suggested that the Austrian foreign minister's curtsey at the dance’s end was a sign of submission towards Putin – a claim which she disputed during her interview.

Although Kneissl admitted that she doesn't have a close relationship with Putin, she underlined the importance of personal contact "for creating a base of trust in difficult situations, which, no doubt, are present in our relations with Russia due to various reasons."