Mr Putin was answering Russian questions in Astana, the Kazakh capital, where he was attending a summit with Central Asian leaders who have become wary of Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February.

The Russian leader also met Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, and leaders from the Middle East on the sidelines of the summit.

Mr Putin adopted a markedly defensive tone during the 30-minute question and answer session. He tried to appear relaxed, making jokes with the pro-Kremlin journalists, ditching his usual bombastic demeanour.

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