Putin Spokesman Calls Opposition 'Zeroes'

Dmitry Peskov

A spokesman for Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin says Putin sees little scope for cooperation with the leaders of opposition protests because they lack ideas and many are uncharismatic "zeroes."

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, in an interview with Reuters news agency, said opposition leaders also had an "unconstructive position" and operated from "the principle of nihilism."

He said many of them were "zeroes" without political charisma or political slogans to rally supporters. He said Aleksei Navalny, one of the main opposition leaders, had "extremist" leanings.

Following the December parliamentary elections won by Putin's United Russia party, the opposition staged the biggest protests against Putin since he came to power 12 years ago.

The opposition plans a "march of millions" on May 6, the day before Putin begins his new presidential term.

Based on reporting by Reuters