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A Russian woman plays with her baby while watching the televised call-in show with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
A Russian woman plays with her baby while watching the televised call-in show with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Live Blog: Putin's Call-In Show

-- After 3 hours and 40 minutes, it's over.

-- Economic questions dominated the early portion of Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual televised question-and-answer session, followed by queries about Russia's foreign relations with countries such as Turkey, Ukraine, and Syria.

-- One of the first questions put to Putin concerned rising prices for groceries and other necessities. Putin said that he understands that people are being hurt by inflation.

-- Putin was asked -- reportedly by a 12-year-old girl -- who he would save from drowning first: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the leaders of two countries with which Russia currently has badly strained relations.

14:29 14.4.2016
14:25 14.4.2016

My favorite tweet so far!

-- Brian Whitmore, The Power Vertical

14:18 14.4.2016

Russian farmers are worried that when the ban on importing foreign goods is lifted nobody will buy their produce.

“I don’t think that our partners will lift sanctions towards us any time soon, therefore, we won’t either,” Putin says.

14:17 14.4.2016

The Power Vertical Weighs In:

So we're more than two hours in and I haven't seen Putin this shaky in one of these events in awhile.

Usually he looks like he's enjoying himself. Today he just looks bored. Usually he looks in command of the material. Today he looks like he is reading from a teleprompter or getting instructions on what to say through an earpiece.

Maybe he's not feeling well. Maybe he's preoccupied. But something is off.

The Russian media reported that he spent a lot of time preparing at some Moscow guesthouse. One has to wonder how he really spent that time.

-- Brian Whitmore

14:13 14.4.2016
14:07 14.4.2016
14:06 14.4.2016

Putin is asked why people should participate in elections if United Russia will win anyway.

He says: Nobody is doubting the effectiveness of the election committee. United Russia has no preferential treatment. In fact, some representatives are losing in different cities around Russia. People must be responsible when voting to build the country they want to live in.

13:48 14.4.2016

Putin is asked who is worse for Russia, Trump or Clinton. He answers: We should seek those who are better.

13:47 14.4.2016
13:46 14.4.2016

Q: Why aren’t you reacting to Western defamation about offshores?

A: It is not defamation. Roldugin is buying musical instruments through offshores. What Roldugin bought with the money -- two violins, two cellos -- they are unique. He spent more money on the instruments than he even had.

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