I am doing okay, says Putin about personal life

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his family life is doing well, when visiting wire service journalists asked him about his personal life.

Talking to a dozen of them, including from IANS, Putin said that he had a "good relationship" with his ex-wife and his daughters who sometimes keep him awake till after 2 a.m. talking about little things.

"I have plans for the future, but I am okay," he said to a round of laughter from the journalists.

Putin has two grown-up daughters - Maria and Ekaterina - from his first marriage but they have largely kept out of the limelight. He divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013. He was rarely seen with her in public.

His name has been linked to rhythmic gymnast named Alina Kabayeva but neither he nor the Kremlin have ever confirmed that. Several reports have stated that he may be marrying Kabayeva.

In the past, Putin has angrily reacted to questions about his possible marriage. "I am, aware of the cliche that politicians live in glass houses, but even in these cases, there must be some limits," he is reported to have told reporters at a press conference in Sardinia, Italy last year.

But he did not express any dislike for the question on his personal life on Friday morning at his residence. In fact, he joined in the laughter which met his statement.

He had met his future wife, an Aeroflot stewardess, in 1980 and she was apparently not impressed by him. But after Putin persisted, they were married in 1983. Their first daughter was born in 1985 and the second one next year. Neither of his daughter is into politics.

(Hardev Sanotra is in Russia at the invitation of St Petersburg International Economic Forum 2015. He can be contacted at hardev.sanotra@ians.in)