KEY POINTS

  • Putin said Western leaders would look 'disgusting' topless because they drink alcohol
  • G7 leaders mocked a photo taken in 2009 showing Putin barechested while atop a horse
  • Putin has been photographed barechested several times in the past

Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted G7 world leaders who mocked him for going shirtless in a previous photoshoot, adding that they would look “disgusting” if they followed suit.

Speaking during a visit to Turkmenistan early Thursday, Putin told reporters that, unlike him, Western leaders abuse alcohol and do not participate in sports. He added that these factors meant the bodies of these world leaders would look “disgusting” if they were to go topless.

“I don't know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist,” he said. “But I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case.”

Putin’s comments came days after world leaders attending a three-day G7 Summit mocked Putin over an infamous photograph taken in 2009 that showed him barechested while sitting atop a horse.

“Jackets on? Jackets off? We have to show that we're tougher than Putin,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, according to a video of the meeting.

“We're going to get the bare-chested horseback riding display,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replied.

“Oh yes! Horseback riding is the best,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added.

Putin has been photographed several times without a shirt on. In 2018, the Russian leader was pictured immersing himself in the cold waters of Lake Seliger located outside Moscow. At the time, he had taken off his boots and coat and was only wearing bathing trunks.

In August 2017, Putin was photographed bare-chested while he was spearfishing in the mountains of southern Siberia. Footage released by Russian state television also showed him bare-chested while he was steering an inflatable boat, which also had Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Kremlin officials on board.

The G7 summit came amid speculations over Putin's health as several video clips showed him seemingly struggling to stand up or furiously gripping a table for support during meetings.

Maj. Gen. Kyrylo O. Budanov, a Ukrainian intelligence official, also previously said a Kremlin source told him that Putin will likely die in the next two years due to a "severe" medical condition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Ukraine war will loom over much of the issues debated in the G7 and NATO
Russian President Vladimir Putin's Ukraine war will loom over much of the issues debated in the G7 and NATO SPUTNIK via AFP / Mikhail METZEL
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