Most Memorable Moments From Putin's Annual Q&A Session

In a 4-hour-long marathon televised session from Moscow, Putin spoke about the Russian economy, the recovery of the ruble, the Ukrainian crisis and the importance of finding a political compromise between Russia and the West.

Besides the meat and potatoes of Russian politics, the president took on several less weighty, a bit amusing and somewhat funny questions, answering them with ease in front of the camera. Sputnik gathered the most memorable pieces from Thursday’s Q&A session.

Farmer John Kopiski, an Englishman who runs a farm in Russia, complained that dairy farmers were struggling to keep their businesses afloat and asked the President what could be done to improve their situation. After addressing John’s concern about his dairy business, Putin jokingly asked the Englishman whether it was a woman who made him move to Russia to begin with.

A woman named Elena asked the president to tell her friend’s husband to allow her to get a dog. Putin stood up for the woman and asked Boris to do the right thing.

Next was a 4-year-old boy from Nalchik who wants to become a future Russian president. The little boy asked Putin how many hours he sleeps. The president said it is important to sleep well to be healthy.

Putin was asked whether he had taken other foreign leaders to a banya, the traditional Russian sauna. Turns out, the Russian president once invited Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder to the banya and while the two were bathing a fire started in the banya. When Putin told his German colleague to leave the building immediately, Schroder insisted on finishing his beer first.

Someone asked Putin whether he wants to become a UN Secretary General in the future. The Russian president firmly said “No”.