Of course, the Russians don't routinely kiss boys/girls on the stomach. I can vouch for that. The assertion is as true as the one that Jews kill Christian babies. Amazingly, the mainstream Russian media was silent. Welcome back to the USSR.
Deborah | Homepage | 08.07.06 - 4:08 pm | #

I suspect this is a joke by one of Putin's image advisors who wanted to check whether Putin has ANY brains to think for himself. The answer is there for everyone to see.

Suppose it could have been worse, had the President misjudged the height of this boy.
shlemazl | Homepage | 08.07.06 - 4:47 pm | #

Actually, the sly lizard (Putin) doesn’t seem to be brainless (quite the contrary!), though this instance casts doubt on his basic intelligence. His image advisors are usually quite adept at maintaining his reputation of a perfect, higher being. He rarely makes mistakes like this one.

All this makes the matter ever more curious.
Deborah | Homepage | 08.07.06 - 6:25 pm | #

If the kid exclaimed

Расцелуйте моего ишака

would Putin comply???
Stinky | 08.07.06 - 6:44 pm | #

perhaps Putin is one of the new breed of Russian vampires, vampires who live off of belly buttons and navel lint
akaky | Homepage | 08.07.06 - 11:07 pm | #

Oh boy...
SnoopyTheGoon | Homepage | 09.07.06 - 6:09 pm | #

Zidane should not have been thrown out of the World Cup -- he was just trying to kiss Materazzi's stomach!
Stinky | 10.07.06 - 3:03 am | #

Yep. I thought so too, it is that Zidan simply was not trained sufficiently.
SnoopyTheGoon | Homepage | 10.07.06 - 9:36 am | #