Putin Tells Press Conference: I’m Proud of My Mysterious Daughters

“My daughters live in Russia and studied only in Russia, I am proud of them,” he said. “They speak three foreign languages fluently. I never discuss my family with anyone.”

 

He added: “Every person has a right for their fate, they live their own life and do it with dignity.”

 

The whereabouts and identities of the women have never been confirmed by the Kremlin.

 

Putin also addressed a slew of questions on foreign and domestic policy during the three-hour event, taking an angry swipe at Turkey over last month’s downing of a Russian fighter jet. He hinted at further measures after Moscow advised citizens not to travel to the country, denting its tourism industry.

 

“I do not see any perspective to normalize relations with Turkey on a inter-governmental level,” he said at his annual question and answer session. “We’ll have to go for further sanctions.”

 

He referred to the shooting down of a fighter jet as “a hostile act” and ridiculed Turkey for turning to the West for help, saying it had “run to Brussels.”

 

“Couldn’t they have just picked up a phone?” he asked, jokingly adding: “I don’t know … if the Turks decided to lick Americans in some places, I don’t know…”

 

Read More: Putin Tells Press Conference: I’m Proud of My Mysterious Daughters – NBC News