Putin Jokes About Being Called a Cyborg

On May 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the supervisory board of the autonomous non-profit organization "Russia — Land of Opportunity.” During the event, where the president and participants reviewed the platform's seven-year progress, Putin addressed a wide range of topics — from traditional Russian values and the special military operation to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's complaints about a potato shortage caused by exports to Russia.

The president noted that in 2017, before the launch of the "Russia — Land of Opportunity” platform, only 37% of citizens believed that young people had the necessary conditions for self-fulfillment. "In recent years, this figure has increased to 80%,” Putin emphasized.

Putin as a Cyborg

During the meeting, Putin admitted that not long ago, someone "quite close” to him told him, "You're like a cyborg.”

"It didn't sound like a compliment… It's not very pleasant to feel like a cyborg. I don't think of myself that way at all,” he said.

Putin also touched on agriculture — a topic he discussed with business leaders on May 26. At that meeting, he stressed the need to ensure stable cultivation of potatoes, beets, and other vegetables in the country.

Potato shortages in Russia

The president shared that the Belarusian leader called him the same day to complain about a potato shortage in Belarus due to exports to Russia.

"Turns out we don't have enough potatoes,” Putin said. "I spoke with Alexander Lukashenko. He says, "We've already sold everything to Russia.'”

Putin also recalled his own experience with farming, recounting how he used to plant potatoes with his father. "It's no easy task — planting those potatoes and then weeding them,” the president remarked.

Details

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making him the current longest-serving European leader. Before embarking on his political career, Lukashenko worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz) and served in both the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. In 1990, Lukashenko was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he assumed the position of head of the interim anti-corruption committee of the Supreme Council of Belarus. In 1994, he won the presidency in the country's inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.