"I absolutely will not shake hands with anyone hostile to the Russian Empire!"
As soon as these words were spoken, an initially cordial welcome ceremony instantly erected a barrier. As the involved party, Foreign Minister Fuad Edifen awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Menshikov intended to use this gesture to declare to every member of the Ottoman Empire High Gate present that even in the Sultan's court, any High Gate minister hostile to the Russian Empire would be subjected to humiliation and punishment by the Russian Empire.
Having achieved his goal, Menshikov did not care about Fuad Effendi's own thoughts. He continued forward on his own, stopping at the steps less than 10 meters away from the Ottoman Empire Sultan Emperor Abdul Majid I. He bowed towards Abdul Majid I on the steps throne and said, "On behalf of His Majesty Nicholas I, Emperor of the Russian Empire, I extend my most sincere greetings to Your Majesty the great Sultan!"
