Not Your Average Slouch

Probably the best description of Vladimir Putin’s gangsta roll in public speaking events comes via Julia Ioffe:

Vladimir Putin spoke at the the Russia Calling! investment forum organized by state-owned VTB bank today. It was awesome.

Here’s basically what happened. After some two hours of boring, number-studded speeches, the room rustle-rustled when the man they — hell, we — had all been waiting for. He mounted the stage, plopped into the white leather chair and instantly assumed his classic sprawl-legged slouch, belt buckle a-gleaming. He then read a boring speech prepared for him by VTB and it was one he seemed not to have been familiar with. Then, after a speech by Morgan Stanley guy who could not get the slide-changing clicker to work (in front of VVP! Nerves!), it was time for Q&A.

And that’s when the fun began.

You can guess where it goes from there.