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A video in which Russian President Vladimir Putin draws a face has sparked much comment and mockery on social media.
The clip shows Putin being given a device and approaching a whiteboard at an exhibition. Russian Tass news agency reported that Putin was at the event that showed the latest in touchscreen technology by the firm NexTouch.
The Russian president "left an unusual autograph on the interactive screen of the Russian manufacturer," the agency reported on Thursday. The same day, Putin addressed the forum of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in Moscow where he said that opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs have expanded.
Putin took the pen and drew a face and then put his name underneath it, said Tass. This sparked applause among those present which was met with a look of satisfaction on the president's face.
The image Putin came up with may have given a hint to his television viewing habits, as social media users noted its resemblance to a famous cartoon character.
"Putin's been watching SpongeBob [SquarePants] hasn't he," journalist Alec Luhn tweeted. Another journalist, Jason Corcoran, shared the clip, writing that the Russian leader was "doing his best to show it's business as usual" following the mutiny against his authority staged by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
"Last night, it was selfies with an adoring public in Dagestan, and today, he's just made a 'Spongepants Bob' drawing at an exhibition," Corcoran added.
SpongeBob SquarePants is a popular figure on Russian television with Forbes reporting in 2016 that its popularity peaked a few years ago but it was seen on most weekday mornings.
Tass reported that a NexTouch representative had recalled that almost a decade ago Putin "signed" a sensory board at a school with a drawing which also gained a lot of attention and became known as "Cat. Rear View." A clip of this also resurfaced on Twitter.
After Wagner Group mercenaries marched on Moscow on Saturday in the biggest challenge to date of Putin's rule, the president has been trying to portray an image of business as usual.
In his first appearance since he denounced Wagner and its leader Prigozhin as "traitors," Putin addressed participants at the International Youth Industrial Forum on Monday, praising the country's engineers, designers and innovators.
Meanwhile, video of Putin greeting and kissing fans in the Russian republic of Dagestan has been widely shared on social media. However, the images of the president shaking hands and kissing the head of a schoolgirl sparked online speculation that the Russian leader was using a body double.
Update 06/29/23, 11:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more