Yesterday, President Putin was walking through the Kremlin as he returned from the Russian Military Academy graduation ceremony. As he was passing the crowd of tourists he stopped to talk to some children in the crowd. One little boy, 4 or 5 years old, attracted Putin’s attention. The boy was very shy, but he and the President managed a short conversation. The boy’s grandmother pushed him closer to the President who asked, “What’s your name?”, “Nikita” – answered the boy.

After that, Putin reached for the boy’s t-shirt, lifted it up, and kissed the kid’s stomach. Caught on video, the bizarre episode has been broadcast throughout Russia and has sparked the attention of many of Putin’s most loyal fans. In an online forum sposored by Yandex and BBC on July 6th, President Putin is scheduled to answer emailed questions from all over Russia and UK. Right now Russia’s top question for her president is “Why did you kiss the boy?” Other questions concerning Russian life, the military draft, poverty, bureaucracy, and corruption are of less concern.

You can watch the video here, and see the photos in the extended post. Enjoy!