Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual Q&A session on April 14. It will be broadcasted by the country’s major TV channels and radio stations.
This year’s Q&A session will be Vladimir Putin’s 14th in succession. The president held his first Q&A session on December 24, 2001, during his first presidential term. The tradition was observed even when Vladimir Putin served as prime minister in 2008-2012.
Last year, answering a question on why he decided to hold the direct line, President Putin explained: "First, this is the best possible kind of opinion poll. We receive millions of questions on a multitude of problems. Second, it gives the government a chance to communicate and share its views with the nation."
The longest Q&A session took place in 2013 and lasted for 4 hours 37 minutes, while the shortest – in 2001 – lasted for 2 hours 20 minutes. The largest number of questions was collected in 2015 — over three million.
Sputnik recalls the best moments from Vladimir Putin’s annual Q&A sessions.
On Personal Life
On April 17, 2014, answering a question on when he will marry again, Vladimir Putin said: "First, I need to marry off my ex-wife Lyudmila Alexandrovna, and then I’ll think about myself."
Putin became the world's most eligible bachelor in June 2013, having divorced his wife Lyudmila after 30 years of marriage.
During the same direct line, Vladimir Putin also commented on Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
On Crimea's Reunification With Russia
"The turnout [during the referendum] was 83 percent and 96 percent voted for Crimea’s reunification with Russia. It was the absolute majority of Crimean residents. In such a situation, we couldn’t go the other way," the president said.
On Alaska
A pensioner named Faina asked the president if Russia had any plans to get Alaska back.
"Faina Ivanovna, my darling, why would you need Alaska? Russia is a northern country. So let’s keep calm," Putin ironically said.
On Personal Relations With Obama
A six-year-old girl asked Putin: "What do you think? If you were drowning, would Obama come to help?"
"I prefer to think that this would never happen to me. But seriously, he is a man of courage. I think he would do this," the president said.
On Maidan Coup and Former Ukrainian President Yanukovych
A former commander of the Ukrainian special police forces in Crimea asked Putin about what he thought about former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s actions during the Maidan coup.
Putin said that Yanukovych just tried to do everything he could to protect his country.
Messages From Russian Nationals
From time to time, text messages from Russian residents were displayed on the screen during the broadcast. Among them were some pretty funny messages.
"Putin, give yourself a pay raise. I don’t like you but you work a lot," one person texted.
Question From Snowden
"There is no mass surveillance on Russian citizens and data storage of their communications. We can do this only by a court ruling. Mass surveillance is illegal in Russia," Putin explained.
Question From Farmer John
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.
Advice From Putin
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.
How to Become President
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.
Banya With Former German Chancellor
Putin was also 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.
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160413/1037923293/putin-direct-line-moments.html
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