They ask if he is ever ashamed. "That is a serious question," he says. "Of course I am, like any person." He recalls an episode in the early 2000s when "the situation was very difficult." Says he ran into an elderly woman late one evening who fell on her knees in front of him and gave him a note, begging for help. (Putin begins to choke up.) Putin says he gave the note to an aide but it was lost and he never read it. He said he has received many such notes over the years, but he is ashamed that he never learned what that woman needed. Putin nearly cries as he recalls the story.
Moderators bring the Direct Line to an end and Putin thanks everyone for their help. Four hours and nine minutes.
This concludes RFE/RL's live blog coverage of Putin's Direct Line program.