Vladimir Putin has tried to paint himself as a soft grandad living in a humble flat in his latest propaganda interview, claiming he ‘hopes’ to end his murderous Ukraine invasion without going nuclear
A new interview with evil dictator Vladimir Putin has seen the mass murderer attempt to portray himself as a softy grandad with a normal life, as he even poured our a drink for a reporter.
The warmonger has denied being strict with his grandchildren, claimed he gets down on his knees to pray during a crisis, and insisted he “hopes” to end his deadly invasion of Ukraine without going nuclear, in a new propaganda piece. The Russian dictator invited his favourite interviewer Pavel Zarubin into his apartment behind the Kremlin for the the 25th anniversary of the ex-KGB spy’s first inauguration as president.
Unusually, Putin fleetingly talks about his grandchildren from daughters Maria, 39, and Katerina, 37, he said they occasionally visit him unexpectedly in his supposedly austere Moscow apartment. Putin, in the late night interview, said: “They can, they can. But still everyone understands that I have such an around-the-clock schedule, and they try to give advance notice, [and] ask when I’ll have a little window to see them.”
The 72-year-old was even asked if he was a strict grandfather, to which he said: “No, no!” The dictator even tried to show himself to be a humble host as he went into his kitchen to get a bottle of kefir – a sour yogurt drink – from his fridge to offer it to the interviewer.
Putin claimed he copes in the kitchen alone before admitting: “Well, the guys [adjutants] come, they help. But now, what for? We’ll pour the kefir ourselves.”
The 72-year-old’s fondness for Kefir also appeared to be an attempt to show the dictator to be healthy – despite theories he allegedly has Parkinson’s disease following footage of his hands and legs shaking during speeches – as the drink is associated with gut health, immunity, and longevity.
Putin was also asked about unleashing nuclear war against Ukraine or the West, which his propagandists often demand. Zarubin asked: “When [Ukraine and the West] provoke us, provoke us, provoke us – they even started hitting us with NATO missiles.
“And many people had this desire…to strike back. Why such cold-bloodedness these three years? Because everything would have ended in nuclear war in that case?”
Putin replied: “You said it right – they wanted to provoke us. They wanted to make us make mistakes. Well, and there was no need to use the weapons you’re talking about – and, I hope, there won’t be. We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 [the war against Ukraine] to a logical conclusion with a result that suits Russia.”
The despot even gave the cameras a glimpse into his own chapel, claiming that a theatre siege – in which hundreds died in 2002 – was the first time he had fallen to his knees to pray. Hundreds of hostages died, mainly from gas used by Putin’s authorities, and up to 50 militants were also killed.
Putin also admitted that he has to restrain himself from a craving to punch people. The interviewer asked: “On the outside, you always seem very cold-blooded and reserved — don’t you ever get the urge to, as they say, punch someone?” Mad Vlad replied: “Always….I live with it. But I fight it.”
Astonishingly, the bizarre interview – intended to reveal new personal details about the notoriously secretive Putin, known as a night owl – began at 1.30am in his cavernous flat, which looks far from homely, which he claimed had been his main base during the war against Ukraine.
Prominent in the flat is a portrait of his predecessor Tsar Alexander III [1881-94], who, unlike Putin, was known as “The Peacemaker”. The emperor was also known for tight censorship, empowering the Russian secret police, cracking down on political dissenters, revolutionaries, and nationalist movements, including Ukrainians, and Baltic peoples, all of which may appeal to Putin.
Putin revealed he is constantly thinking about who to crown as his heir apparent and successor, saying: “I always think about that. In the end, people can have whatever attitude they want toward this, but ultimately, yes, in the final analysis, the choice belongs to the people – the Russian people, the citizens, the voters.”
However he hinted the outcome could be skewed with “election technologies” and “administrative resources”, but he said: “The chances of truly achieving something are slim for a person who doesn’t have the trust of the people behind them. That’s a fundamental issue.
“So when I think about this – and I think about it all the time – of course I think that a person should emerge, or better yet several people, so the people have a choice. Someone who could earn that trust from the citizens of the country.”
Putin did not name his grandchildren but it is known his eldest grandson Roman, 12 – born to his daughter Maria – is half-Dutch, by her first husband Jorrit Faassen, the son of a NATO colonel.