Putin says "no need to hide" when showing off shirtless photos
Russian President Putin sees no big deal in him going shirtless while relaxing on his days off.
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Mr. Putin on a hunting and fishing trip in Siberia. Photo:Reuters |
In an interview with Austrian television ahead of a visit to Vienna about the shirtless photos of him on holiday, Mr Putin dismissed suspicions that they were deliberately staged.
"Thank God you called it 'topless' and not 'nude'. When I'm on holiday, I don't feel the need to hide anything and there's nothing wrong with it,"RTquote him as saying.
The Kremlin has released many photos showing the Russian president showing off his muscles and strong body while fishing, riding horses, hunting or bathing in cold lakes. These images spread widely on the internet, became the subject of debate and were even edited and combined to create memes.
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Mr. Putin rode a horse during a trip to Siberia in 2009. Photo:Reuters |
Western analysts say Mr Putin has deliberately built an image of a versatile, strong leader in the public eye, and this has helped him attract a large number of supporters.
A few months ago, a reporter from the radio stationNBCThe US also asked the Russian president the same question.
“There are many pictures of me at work, but no one cares,” Mr. Putin replied. “I have seen pictures of me riding a bear, but I have never done that. And yet these pictures exist.”
