One SMS question was "The West does not recognize Assad. Why do you recognize Poroshenko?" Putin smiles and answers: "Interesting question."
Putin reads an SMS question about why officials get medical treatment abroad.
"Your humble servant doesn't get medical treatment abroad," Putin says in his response.
Putin reads question from SMS asking when Gazprom will stop funding Ekho Moskvy. Putin uses the opportunity to say the existence of Ekho Moskvy is proof that Russia respects freedom of the press, and adds that many things broadcast by Ekho Moskvy "need correcting."
Putin asks Gordeyev, who is a specialist in agriculture, why meat from cows is called beef. Gordeyev says he doesn't know why.
For the second time today the moderator interrupts a government official -- this time Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Gordeyev -- to tell him to hurry it up because there are a lot of questions.
Again, moderator interrupts Gordeyev and reminds him that the program is live. Gordeyev basically ignores the hint and continues reading from his paper even after moderator continues talking over him.
Then Putin turns to the matter of "personal responsibility" for the problem of trash. Then he hands over the mic to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Gordeyev, who pulls out some paper and starts reading a monotonous list of figures.
Putin says the matter is "extremely important and urgent." Begins by going back to Soviet times and describing their practice of just piling garbage up in dumps. Says Russia has "tens of thousands" of "gray" or "illegal" landfills. Says part of the trash industry is "criminalized." Discusses the advantages/disadvantages of incineration/recycling/reprocessing. Calls for the creation of the "most modern" incineration plants, like they have in Japan. "We have to follow this same path in contact with activists such as yourselves and with the All-Russia People's Front and with local and regional powers," he says. "A lot will depend on governors."
Moderator is now summarizing various questions about the problem of the landfills. Definitely not just an issue for Moscow and Moscow Oblast. Says there are "very many" questions/complaints on this topic. One environmental activist says that local governors have not responded to their appeals for help.