MOSCOW — Mixing wry jokes with economic statistics, Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to reassure the nation during his annual marathon call-in TV show Thursday, promising that its troubled economy will rebound and vowing to make other countries take account of Russia’s interests.
Putin answered questions from adults and children from around the country during the highly scripted event, which he used to burnish his image as a strong leader who protects Russia from foreign threats and cares about ordinary people’s needs.
In the days before, and during the show, Russians sent more than 3 million questions to Putin, ranging from bread-and-butter …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
