Accessibility links

Breaking News
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)

11:39 15.6.2017

WATCH: Putin said that a U.S. Senate move to increase sanctions against Moscow came "out of the blue" and was meant to contain Russia. (Reuters)

Putin Says U.S. Sanctions Aim To 'Restrain Russia'
please wait

No media source currently available

0:00 0:01:25 0:00

11:44 15.6.2017
11:49 15.6.2017

Q: What have we learned in Syria? What is our future there?

A: First, it was a great help to our military-industrial complex -- we tested many weapons. Second, the experience for the military personnel is "priceless." As for the future, we will make sure that the Syrian Army is self-sufficient.

11:51 15.6.2017
11:52 15.6.2017
11:53 15.6.2017
11:55 15.6.2017
12:00 15.6.2017

A woman from Izhevsk talks about her terrible living conditions. Putin says new houses are built, promises to come by and talk in person.

12:03 15.6.2017
12:04 15.6.2017

Putin is proud of Maria Sharapova.

Load more

XS
SM
MD
LG