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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his televised question-and-answer session in Moscow on June 15.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his televised question-and-answer session in Moscow on June 15.

Live Blog: Putin's Call-In Show

Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking questions from Russians across the country in his annual Direct Line show, a lavish and heavily stage-managed production broadcast live by all major Russian state television networks.

-- Vladimir Putin took questions from Russians across the country in the Direct Line program, which lasted four hours.

-- Putin said there was no cause for the new sanctions against Moscow that are under consideration in the U.S. Congress, and that the aim of Western sanctions is to hold Russia back.

-- Putin said the country had pulled out of a long recession and that "the economy has moved to a period of growth."

-- The Direct Line program is one of three high-profile annual events that Putin uses to burnish his image in Russia, send signals abroad, and offer hints about future plans.

-- This year's rendition comes at a time of social tension in Russia, just days after police detained more than 1,500 people at anticorruption protests in cities across the country on June 12. In addition, Moscow has seen numerous protests in recent weeks over a controversial government plan to raze and replace thousands of Soviet-era residential buildings.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Moscow (GMT/UTC +3)

11:36 15.6.2017

Putin promises to help. But says that people all over the world complain about health care. And Russia is doing a lot. However, the country is lacking specialists.

11:33 15.6.2017
11:32 15.6.2017
11:29 15.6.2017

The anchor reads an Internet question about corruption, but Putin isn’t given a chance to answer.

11:28 15.6.2017

First question from a child. Andrei is worried about the ecology. Putin says he’ll look into the problem.

11:27 15.6.2017
11:26 15.6.2017

Q: Comey talked about Russia’s alleged meddling in the U.S. elections.

A: I don’t really know what Comey said during his hearing. We only do things in the open. The U.S. meddles in other countries a lot. Also, I can’t believe Comey recorded a conversation with Trump and then leaked it to the press. If he wants, we can give him political refuge, just like we did with Snowden.

11:21 15.6.2017

Q: Once you meet [U.S. President Donald] Trump, do you think Russia-U.S. relations could start improving? How?

A: There are areas where we can work together. Restricting nuclear-arms production, ecology, fighting poverty. But it’s not just up to us. We are ready for a constructive dialogue.

11:15 15.6.2017
11:11 15.6.2017

Some more choice quotes from Putin:

"You know, my children, my daughters, despite all sorts of rumors, live here in Russia, in Moscow. And I have grandchildren. They also live a normal life. My daughters work in science and education, they are steering clear of politics. They live a normal, ordinary life."

"As for grandchildren, some of them already go to preschool. You know, I do not want them to grow up as 'princes of blood,' I want them to grow up as normal people, and for that they need a regular, normal communication with other children. Would I now say their age, names -- they will be immediately identified and not be left in peace."

"I ask you to understand me correctly and show understanding to this position.... My second grandson was born not long ago."

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