Putin unaware where Poroshenko spent New Year but sees nothing shameful in president traveling abroad
MOSCOW. Dec 11 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was nothing wrong about his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko having reportedly seen in New Year outside his country.
"As for the president of Ukraine, I don't know where he spent his New Year holidays. But I don't think that a president should be ashamed of this: going somewhere abroad and spending some time there," Putin said at a meeting with Russian news agency and print media executives on Thursday.
He was commenting on the reports that Poroshenko saw in New Year in the Maldives, having rented an entire island. "I am not reliably informed about it, so it is difficult for me to comment. At any rate, he is a rich man and can afford to travel with his family abroad, including to the Maldives," Putin said.
When asked how he spent New Year, Putin said he was in Russia.
"I spend all holidays in Russia, such is simply the tradition and, to be honest, I don't feel like going anywhere. I was at home over New Year, then went to Siberia for a couple of days. It was frosty there, minus 33 [Celsius]. But I like that," Putin said.