WATCH - Obama gives Putin an icy stare during luncheon toast after dueling UN speeches over Syria, ISIS and Ukraine

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin fought for the soul of the United Nations this morning in dueling General Assembly speeches centered on the bloodshed in Iraq and Syria that renewed hostility between the two countries.

At a luncheon for world leaders after their speeches, Putin celebrated, smiling as he touched his glass to Obama's during a toast by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

In return, he received an icy stare from Obama, who diplomatically clinked his glass in return.

Their earlier trading of barbs encompassed the Kremlin's military involvement in Ukraine and its support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whom Obama referred to in his remarks as a 'tyrant' who 'drops barrel bombs to massacre innocent children' that must be removed from power.

Putin likewise shamed the United States for attempting to 'export' its version of democracy to Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011.

The United States' interference in the countries 'resulted in a brazen destruction of national institutions and the lifestyle itself,' Putin said, per an interpreter. 'Instead of the triumph of democracy and progress, we got violence, poverty' and 'social disaster.'

The deposing of those countries' leaders likewise created power vacuums, Putin said, that were filled by extremists and terrorists like ISIS, which has since expanded its reaches to countries other than Iraq in the Middle East such as Syria.

'I cannot help but ask those who have caused this situation, do you realize now what you've done?' Putin boldly stated. 'But I'm afraid no one is going to answer that.'

WATCH - Obama gives Putin an icy stare during luncheon toast after dueling UN speeches over Syria, ISIS and Ukraine

Obama had earlier admitted during his remarks that 'even as we helped the Libyan people bring an end to the reign of a tyrant, our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind.'

Still he said, any solution to the current violence in Syria must involve a transition away from Assad's leadership to a new, inclusive government.

Alluding to Russia's actions at home and abroad, Obama said 'some major powers assert themselves in ways that contravene international law' and restrict the flow of information in their countries and ability of their people to participate in civil society.

'We're told that such retrenchment is required to beat back disorder, that it's the only way to stamp out terrorism or prevent foreign meddling,' Obama said. 'In accordance with this logic, we should support tyrants like Bashar al-Assad, who drops barrel bombs to massacre innocent children, because the alternative is surely worse.'

He further accused them of 'flagrantly' violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. 

'We recognize the deep and complex history between Russia and Ukraine,' he said. 'Imagine if, instead, Russia had engaged in true diplomacy, and worked with Ukraine and the international community to ensure its interests were protected.'