During his latest “Direct Line” call-in TV show, Vladimir Putin noticed a question displayed on screen that read, “Where is this gang of patriots from United Russia [the country’s ruling political party] leading us?” The president decided to answer the question, telling viewers, “So there’s no impression that we’re avoiding tough political questions.” In his response, however, Putin spoke mainly about the difficulties Russia endured in the 1990s, arguing that some people in power during that era should be held responsible for this.
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