Beer lovers around the world appreciate German cuisine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is no exception.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is sending bottles of pilsner beer produced in Saxony to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president himself has revealed, according to a report in the newspaper "Die Welt".
"Occasionally Angela sends me some bottles of Radeberger beer," says the Russian leader in the documentary "Putin" by the VGTRK (All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company), referring to the German chancellor by her first name.
Putin, who served as the KGB undercover agent in Dresden in the 1980s, learned to appreciate local beer there.
One week before the Russian presidential election, a two-hour documentary about Putin was shown by journalist Andrei Kontrasov, who represents the Russian president's campaign.
The documentary includes interviews with several allies of the Russian leader, including former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his childhood friend, cellist Sergei Roldugin.