Russian President Vladimir Putin shot back at Western leaders gathered in Europe who mocked him for going shirtless while outdoors, stating that if they did the same it would be “disgusting.” 

Attending the G7 Summit in Germany this week, world leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau joked about how they ought to go shirtless to one up Putin, who has established a reputation as a “macho” leader. 

According to the Associated Press, Johnson joked that his peers should take their clothes off to “show that we’re tougher than Putin” amid discussions on how to deal with Russia’s military action in Ukraine. 

According to the publication, Trudeau joked that Western leaders “could try to match Putin’s naked torso pictures with a ‘bare-chested horseback riding display,’ one of his widely publicized athletic adventures.” 

If Boris Johnson gets topless on a horse back, Putin will definitely win. #G7 pic.twitter.com/gFAqJPA9hg

— Saidy (@alsa3idy) June 27, 2022

Speaking on Thursday during his visit to Turkmenistan, Putin remarked, “I don’t know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist, but I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case.” 

In a clear dig at Boris Johnson, Putin added that it is “necessary to stop abusing alcohol and other bad habits, do physical exercise and take part in sports” to manage one’s physical appearance. 

“But if I can reference Pushkin, I may be wrong about the exact words, but one may be all about business and think of the condition of one’s nails,” said Putin, suggesting that it is possible for any serious person to care about being well-groomed. 

During the meeting in Germany, the British Prime Minister asserted that if Putin were a woman he would not have had the “toxic masculinity” to wage war. 

“I would not say now what would have happened if it would happen (if I were a woman), but I just want to recall the events of recent history, when Margaret Thatcher decided to launch military operations against Argentina for the Falkland Islands,” said Putin. “So, a woman took the decision to launch military action. Where are the Falkland Islands and where is Britain? And it was dictated by nothing less than imperial ambitions.” 

Vladimir Putin has hit back at G7 leaders mocking him over a shirtless picture from 2009, and rejected comments made by Boris Johnson suggesting that if Putin were a woman, he would not have invaded Ukraine.

Read more here: https://t.co/BvBNkqfyfd pic.twitter.com/CNNmtVGg4H

— SBS News (@SBSNews) July 1, 2022

Putin’s clap back at his Western counterparts comes as the conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth month, with Russia seizing much of Donbass in the eastern region of Ukraine.