Jeana (DP)
Former Member
MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Vladimir Putin's decision to stop a small boy as he walked through the Kremlin and kiss his stomach was prompted by a desire to "touch him like a kitten," the Russian president said on Thursday.
The five-year-old boy, identified as Nikita Konkin by the press, was clearly stunned by the kiss and speculation over Putin's motivation has run wild in the week since it happened.
Curious Internet users propelled the issue to the top of a list of questions put to Putin in an interactive Web cast. ( Watch Putin and the boy -- :45)
"People came up and I began talking to them, among them this little boy. He seemed to me very independent, sure of himself and at the same time defenseless so to speak, an innocent boy and a very nice little boy," Putin told the Web cast.
"I tell you honestly, I just wanted to touch him like a kitten and that desire of mine ended in that act."
* * *
Putin then lifted the boy's shirt and kissed him on his stomach. The Russian president then patted the boy on the head and walked off through a crowd of astonished tourists.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/07/06/russia.putin.reut/index.html
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The five-year-old boy, identified as Nikita Konkin by the press, was clearly stunned by the kiss and speculation over Putin's motivation has run wild in the week since it happened.
Curious Internet users propelled the issue to the top of a list of questions put to Putin in an interactive Web cast. ( Watch Putin and the boy -- :45)
"People came up and I began talking to them, among them this little boy. He seemed to me very independent, sure of himself and at the same time defenseless so to speak, an innocent boy and a very nice little boy," Putin told the Web cast.
"I tell you honestly, I just wanted to touch him like a kitten and that desire of mine ended in that act."
* * *
Putin then lifted the boy's shirt and kissed him on his stomach. The Russian president then patted the boy on the head and walked off through a crowd of astonished tourists.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/07/06/russia.putin.reut/index.html
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