Vladimir Putin Admits Feeling Like Punching People: ‘I Hold Back’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed that he often feels the urge to ‘knock some sense’ into people, despite his outward appearance of self-restraint. In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin for Russian state television, a clip of which was published on Telegram on Saturday (03.05.2025), Putin made an unprecedented admission. During their discussion about potential anger issues affecting the Russian leader, Putin stated: ‘I feel like punching some people, but I hold back…’. The journalist asked, ‘Externally, you always seem very cool and cautious — do you never feel the need, as they say, to hit someone?’ To which Putin replied, ‘Always! I live with it. But I hold back.’