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Putin says he read no books about himself

The Russian president says he doen't need to read such books as he already knows everything about himself
German journalist Hubert Zeipel and Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail Klimentiev/Russian presidential press service/TASS
German journalist Hubert Zeipel and Russian President Vladimir Putin
© Mikhail Klimentiev/Russian presidential press service/TASS

MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/ Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hadn’t read a single book.

"I already know everything about myself," Putin said as he attended on Tuesday the presentation of the book "Putin. Logic of Power" by German journalist Hubert Zeipel. While the author was signing a copy of the book, the head of the Russian state addressed journalists: "I don’t know why he [Zeipel] is doing this," Putin said with a smile.

According to Putin, if the German journalist has written the truth, he will "get what he deserves."

Putin added that if Zeipel "wrote in a way wanted by those where he works, everything will be normal for him."

When asked about whether he had read the new book about himself, Putin answered in the negative: "I already know everything about myself."

 Hubert Zeipel presented his book about Vladimir Putin on Monday at the Red Square book festival, which is currently being held outside the Kremlin walls. 

"A certain image of Vladimir Putin has been formed over quite a long period of time, and this image has got little to do with reality. It was interesting for me to see and know his opinion about how this image is formed; what he himself thinks about it and what logic he sees behind certain events," Zeipel said.

The journalist said that Putin had asked him to write about him as a political figure without mentioning his private life.

"Putin: the Logic of Power" came out at the Vremya (Time) publishing house in Russia in 2016. It was written on the basis of numerous personal meetings, conversations and joint trips in which Zeipel had accompanied Putin.

In 2012, Zeipel created a documentary about Putin ("I, Putin, a Portrait"). For a few weeks the author had accompanied the Russian president in his trips across Russia and had taken plenty of interviews. He had also talked to Putin’s associates and opposition members. Zeipel used their replies and his personal conversations with Vladimir Putin for making his film-portrait about the Russian president.

The Red Square book festival took place outside the Kremlin Walls in Moscow on June 3-6.