Live coverage from the Russian president’s marathon conversation with the public – and the best reaction from around the web 
 
 Vladimir Putin embarked on his annual discussion with the nation through his “direct line” press conference. The now well-established tradition on Thursday saw the Russian president take questions on topics from Ukraine and the Iran nuclear deal to rural transport and the sale of milk to primary schools. 
 
 A record 3 million questions were logged, with the first hour dominated by the economy as Putin fielded questions on the impact of western sanctions, later moving on to Russia’s relations with its neighbours and the wider world. 
 
 Key lines 
 
 Iran : Putin insisted lifting a five-year embargo on the delivery of air defence missiles to Iran did not undermine international sanctions since the Russian ban was voluntary. The US and Israel have objected to the move announced this week. Putin said he made the decision since Iran had shown “a desire to reach compromise”. 
 
 : Putin insisted lifting a five-year embargo on the delivery of air defence missiles to Iran did not undermine international sanctions since the Russian ban was voluntary. The US and Israel have objected to the move announced this week. Putin said he made the decision since Iran had shown “a desire to reach compromise”. WW2 commemorations : European nations not visiting Moscow to mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end had been put under pressure by Washington, Putin claimed. 
 
 : European nations not visiting Moscow to mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end had been put under pressure by Washington, Putin claimed. Ukraine : The Russian president denied Russian military forces were in Ukraine and said Kiev was violating a peace accord by maintaining an economic blockade on eastern regions under the control of pro-Russian rebels. 
 
 
 
 : The Russian president denied Russian military forces were in Ukraine and said Kiev was violating a peace accord by maintaining an economic blockade on eastern regions under the control of pro-Russian rebels. Economy : Putin was optimistic in his answers, highlighting gains in agriculture and a low unemployment rate. He added that the rouble was getting back on its feet following a sharp devaluation last year, and estimated a full recovery to be “somewhere in the region of two years”. 
 
 : Putin was optimistic in his answers, highlighting gains in agriculture and a low unemployment rate. He added that the rouble was getting back on its feet following a sharp devaluation last year, and estimated a full recovery to be “somewhere in the region of two years”. Relations with west : Putin said the west must respect Russia’s interests if it wants to normalise diplomatic relations. He said the US “doesn’t need allies, they only need vassals” and that Russia would never accept that role. 
 
 : Putin said the west must respect Russia’s interests if it wants to normalise diplomatic relations. He said the US “doesn’t need allies, they only need vassals” and that Russia would never accept that role. Nemtsov murder: The killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was “tragic and shameful”, Putin said in response to one question. Nemtsov was shot dead on 27 February just outside the Kremlin. Five Chechens are in custody but Putin said he does not know if it will be possible to track down the mastermind. 
 
 
 
 One of two questions on milk came from a British man, John Kopiski, who moved to Russia in 1992 and became a dairy farmer. He asked about regulated milk prices. 
 
 Alexey Venedikto from Ekho Moskvy also quizzed Putin about Nemtsov’s murder from the studio. But there we no high profile guests to top Edward Snowden who appeared last year to ask a question on Russia’s mass surveillance policy. 
 
 In tweets 
 
 Shaun Walker live-tweeted the event in English: 
 
 And we rounded up the best of the online reaction as the discussion developed: 
 
 And you can watch the whole event dubbed in English here: 
 
 The social media build-up to the event focused around the perceived power of Putin as a president, as a Vine clip re-surfaced showing him see off US president Barack Obama in a stare down – the two have previously been compared on the basis of their animal preferences. 
 
 And to keep people entertained through the proceedings Meduza created a game of Putin bingo, with key words that include “sanctions”, “Crimea” and “Nemtsov”. 
 
 

 Streamed live on Apr 16, 2015 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin holds 13th annual ‘Direct Line’ Q&A session in Moscow April 16. 
 
 During the session, Putin will take questions from Russian residents from across the country. 
 
 Those wanting to ask Putin a question will have an opportunity to contact the president via Facebook and local social networks, as well as by SMS, MMS and telephone. 
 
 Putin's ‘direct lines’ have become a well-established tradition throughout the years of his presidency since 2001. 
 
 The event generally focuses on domestic affairs, with Putin reporting on government’s achievements whilst recognizing existing issues. Putin’s answers also touch upon Russia’s international position. 
 
 The last hotline in 2014 lasted 3 hours 55 minutes and was focused on the Ukrainian crisis. 
 
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 (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin shrugged off repeated questions about the impact of Western sanctions on his nation during a nationally broadcast annual Q&A session. 
 
 "Sanctions are sanctions," he said. "As far as sanctions are concerned .... (they're) about the need to constrain our development," not just about Ukraine and Crimea. 
 
 Western sanctions were implemented after Moscow annexed Crimea and pro-Russian separatists battled Ukrainian government forces in the nation's east. 
 
 Putin predicted the sanctions would not end soon. 
 
 On the Middle East, the Russian leader defended lifting a ban on the sale of a sophisticated air defense system to Iran 
 
 "We need to encourage our Iranian partners," Putin said, referring to a preliminary deal to limit Iran's nuclear program 
 
 Sanctions against Iran have had a dramatic impact on the nation's economy. 
 
 On Israeli and Western fears that such a system would embolden Iran, Putin scoffed. 
 
 "Iran is not a threat to Israel at all," he said. "It is a defense weapon." 
 
 The spectacle 
 
 Putin's annual exercise is fascinating for ordinary Russians, who normally get him in closely managed doses on state-run television. These sessions are live and can go on and on. 
 
 Last year, he spoke for three hours and 55 minutes. In 2013, it was a record-setting four hours and 47 minutes. 
 
 Organizers said public interest was especially strong this year, with 2.4 million questions submitted. 
 
 Of course, critics of the Kremlin slam the entire event as Russia's imitation of democracy in action. It's hard to imagine a truly critical question, they say, getting aired on national television there. In fact, it's best not to look at this event as an opportunity for Russians to question their leader at all. 
 
 Instead, it is more like a highly produced, highly choreographed chance for their leader to speak to them, and to the world. 
 
 Last year, there was a "surprise" appearance by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden , who was granted asylum in Russia. He addressed Putin by video link , quizzing Putin about Moscow's own surveillance practices.
– Vladimir Putin spent four hours responding to queries from the Russian people today as part of his annual "direct line" Q&A session in Moscow, which can be viewed in its entirety here. While he spoke on lighter matters, like the sale of milk in schools, he also touched on Ukraine and the economy, the Guardian reports. He maintains that "there are no Russian troops in Ukraine," and that Kiev is "cutting off" regions controlled by pro-Russian rebels with an economic blockade, the BBC reports. Putin said Western sanctions on Russia aren't just about Crimea or Ukraine, but "the need to constrain our development," CNN reports. He also appeared optimistic about Russia's economic crisis, noting a full recovery is about two years away. Touching on his decision to allow the sale of an air defense system to Iran, Putin said Iran showed "a desire to reach compromise." Though Israel and other countries fear the system could pose a danger, "It is a defense weapon," Putin said. "Iran is not a threat to Israel at all." Putin also described the murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov as "tragic and shameful," noting the mastermind of the killing may never be found. Critics say that the broadcast is more about giving Putin a platform to speak than having Russians grill him about policy. Putin's team sifted through 3 million questions received via email, video, and text, and none too critical or personal were heard. The broadcast was scheduled to last three hours, but Putin usually goes over his time. He spoke for a record-breaking four hours and 47 minutes in 2013.