VIDEO: Odessa is, of course, a Russian city, a little bit Jewish as well, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has referred to the Ukrainian city of Odessa as a Russian city. He made this statement during a discussion at the 20th plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club.

“Odessa is, of course, a Russian city, but it is a little bit Jewish too. Just a little,” Putin said in response to a question from Hungarian journalist Gábor Stier.

Stier noted that this time Odessa is not mentioned in the context. In October 2022, during a Valdai club meeting, the journalist remarked that Odessa is one of his favorite cities in the post-Soviet space and had asked Putin for advice on when would be a better time for him to visit the city—next summer or two years later. In response, the Russian president had suggested that he visit Odessa as soon as possible.