On U.S. sanctions:
"Dialogue is always good, it is always needed. And certainly, if the U.S. side is ready for such a dialogue, we have said it already, that we are ready for that. President Trump's initiatives to have such a dialogue have been always hindered by his political rivals. Now, the U.S. president is obstructed by his election campaign."
- By Carl Schreck
Going back to Putin's suggestion earlier in the show that authorities might look at making the spread of fake news a criminal offense, it's worth noting that Putin himself cited a notorious hoax about MH17 in his 2015 interview with U.S. filmmaker Oliver Stone.
Here's our investigation from last year showing the hoax was spread by a Spanish ex-con purporting to be an air-traffic controller named Carlos working at a Kyiv airport when MH17 was shot down.
In a video link from Tyumensk Oblast, locals complain that an industrial chicken farm has spoiled their drinking water. They show plastic bottles full of dirty water. Putin says that "millions" of Russians do not have access to clean drinking water and this is a major problem. Then punts the question to Tyumen Oblast Governor Aleksandr Moor, who gives a speech about how they are rebuilding the water-supply system. When the system is finished, Moor says, everyone will have clean water. Putin tells him to work faster.
Moderator notes the Direct Line has already been going for four hours.
On military spending:
"We are the only great military power in the world that is scaling down its military spending.... Despite our small military expenses, we not only managed to secure military and nuclear parity but also are two-three steps ahead of our competitors. Because there is no other country in the world that has such technologically highly advanced weapons as we have, I mean our hypersonic missiles complex."
Now they are showing the governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, who has rushed out to the region of Krasnoyarsk that has no schools and is now meeting with locals, as Putin ordered him to do. They show governor talking and people listening.
- By Carl Schreck
Putin took a swipe at Pavel Grudinin, the Communist Party politician who ran a surprisingly feisty presidential campaign in the election last year that handed Putin another six-years in office. Asked whether he might be prepared to appoint Grudinin as his prime minister, Putin suggested the politician's foreign bank accounts preclude him from the job.
Payback?
They ask Putin to tell a joke about himself. He says that he has heard many, but declines to tell one.
They ask him "what is the main problem facing Russia." Putin says the main problem is to improve labor productivity and, on that basis, transform the economy.
They ask if he is tired of being president. "No, otherwise I wouldn't have run for another term," he says.