Once a year, the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin asks his compatriots direct questions. The Kremlin chief has to listen to criticism again and again at the citizens’ consultation hour “Der Direkt Draht”, which is broadcast live on several TV channels and lasts for several hours. Yesterday, the 68-year-old spoke about the following topics, among others:
- Vaccination: More than three months after his vaccination, Putin has revealed the secret of the drug administered to him. He said he had been vaccinated with “Sputnik V”. “The vaccination is harmless.” And he stressed that there were no serious side effects. So far, the 68-year-old had always refused to give the name of the vaccine. At the same time, Putin claimed that the vaccine was better than other vaccines.
- Ukraine: Putin accused the ex-Soviet republic of being controlled from other western countries. “The key questions about the viability of Ukraine will not be resolved in Kiev, but in Washington and partly in Berlin and Paris,” stressed Putin. He was cautious about a possible meeting with the Ukrainian head of state Volodimir Zelensky.
- Incident in the Black Sea: Putin accuses the USA and Great Britain of “provocation”. In the incident last week, a US reconnaissance aircraft was also used in addition to a British warship. At the same time, Putin defended the Russian approach: “Even if we had sunk this ship, it would have been difficult to imagine that the world would have been on the brink of a third world war.”
- Succession: Putin wants to determine when he will hand over power and then recommend a successor, he said. “Of course the time will come. And I hope that I can say that in my opinion this or that person is worthy to lead such a wonderful country as our homeland Russia.”
