July 2, 2022
image source,AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin creates the image of a masculine and tough guy. The picture shows Putin riding a horse shirtless in 2009
Russian President Vladimir Putin hit back at Western leaders mocking his tough-guy image earlier this week, saying it would be “disgusting” if Western leaders stripped to show off their muscles.
Putin told a news conference in Turkmenistan, “I don’t know if they are going to be topless or full, but I think it’s disgusting either way.”
Putin also quoted the famous Russian poet Pushkin: “A smart person can also love beauty.”
He said, “I totally agree with this statement: all aspects of a person, mind and body, must develop in harmony. But to achieve harmony in all aspects, you can’t drink alcohol or have other bad things. Get used to it, you have to do more exercise, exercise more.”
“I know each of the colleagues you mentioned, and it is understandable that our relationship is not very good now. But no matter what, they are leaders and have their own personalities, if they want to , will definitely get to the point where they want to do it, but you have to do it yourself. It’s good that they’re talking about it now, and I’ll give them a compliment.”
image source,Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin fishes shirtless in Siberia
What if it’s a woman?
He also dismissed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s claim that “if Putin was a woman, there would be no invasion of Ukraine”.
Putin cited the 1982 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina as an example, “I recall an event in recent history where Margaret Thatcher decided to launch a military operation against Argentina for the Falklands.”
“So a woman decides to go to war, where are the Falklands? Where is the UK? It’s all imperial ambition, just to secure their imperial status.”
“So I don’t think it’s very correct to describe what’s going on right now, at least not for the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.”
In April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British colony in the South Atlantic, beginning the 10-week Falkland War.
Argentina said the Falkland Islands, which had been inherited from Spain in the 19th century, should be recaptured, but the British ruled the Falklands for more than 150 years and sent troops to retake them. Argentine troops surrendered on June 14.
Putin tough guy image
In the past, Russian state media has repeatedly published photos of Putin shirtless, including pictures of Putin riding horses, hunting and fishing.
The photos are also widely seen as Putin’s attempt to create the masculine, tough-guy image many Russians identify with.
At the G7 summit in Germany earlier this week, Johnson joked about Putin’s tough-guy image, saying that Western leaders might also take off their clothes to “show off their muscles” and “show that we are stronger than Putin.”
Canadian leader Justin Trudeau also suggested that it is possible to “ride with a bare chest”.
In an interview with German media after the G7 summit, Johnson also said that if Putin was a woman, he would not have invaded Ukraine.
“Insane, macho aggression is the perfect example of the harmfulness of masculinity,” Johnson said, calling for “more women in power”.