Vladimir Putin Stages Phone Call With 8-year-old Russian Girl in Latest PR Stunt Since Last Month's Botched Moscow Coup
July 5 2023, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Vladimir Putin hosted a young girl at the Kremlin this week in what marked the Russian leader’s latest PR stunt since squashing last month’s botched coup attempt, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The bizarre stunt took place on Tuesday as Putin met with Raisat Akipova, 8, in his Moscow office.
According to footage of the meeting that was since released by the Kremlin, Putin warmly welcomed the young girl before having her call Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to ask for funding for Dagestan, her hometown.
Dagestan, a southern region in Russia that is said to be one of the nation’s poorest, has reportedly been heavily involved in providing soldiers for the Russian leader’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Finance Minister Siluanov apparently seemed amused by the call, according to Daily Mail, although he initially failed to respond to Raisat's greeting.
However, Siluanov quickly agreed to provide additional funding for her region.
Putin also explained to Raisat that he invited both her and her parents to Moscow because he was “upset” after seeing a picture of the 8-year-old in tears when she failed to meet the Russian leader during his trip to Dagestan last week.
The Kremlin also used this week’s interaction with Raisat as further evidence of Putin's “astounding” support of Russia – particularly in the wake of last month’s mutiny launched by the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the Kremlin has been in damage control mode ever since Prigozhin and his Wagner Private Military Company marched on Moscow on June 24.
Although Prigozhin and his mercenaries ultimately turned around at the 11th hour, and while Prigozhin quickly fled to Belarus after the botched coup, Putin’s place as Russia’s leader has been called into question following the rebellion.
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The Russian leader made his first public appearance since the botched coup last week when he stepped out into Moscow to meet with a large group of supporters.
Putin then traveled to Dagestan shortly thereafter and was captured drawing a smiley face on an electronic whiteboard and meeting with more supporters in the region.
Meanwhile, the Russian leader’s critics accused Putin of sending a body double to Dagestan because he was too paranoid to step out in public so soon after Prigozhin’s failed Moscow coup.
