Putin criticized a businessman from Germany for asking a question in English

Based on the importance of sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that the representative of Germany should not ask questions in English. He said this on December 4 at the plenary session of the VTB forum "Russia Calling!".

"And finally the most important thing I want to draw attention to. Here you are representing the Federal Republic [of Germany], right? You speak German. Why are you asking me questions in English? The most important thing is the level of sovereignty," the Russian president emphasized.

Putin also told a story about how when he was at German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's birthday party in Hanover, everyone there spoke English. Even the Hannover Girls' Choir sang songs in it.

"It's embarrassing! That's what this is all about," the Russian leader explained, referring to the importance of the country's internal sovereignty.

On November 26, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that Putin speaks German better than she does Russian. She wrote about it in her memoirs titled "Freedom. Memories 1954-2021."

In the book, she recalled a meeting with the Russian leader in Tomsk in April 2006. She noted that interpreters were present with them "just in case," but their help was not needed.