Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed his caring character when he hosted an eight-year-old girl in the Kremlin on July 4 and made a bizarre phone call with her to his Finance Minister to ask for a budget grant for her home region. The Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, initially sounded bemused but quickly agreed to the extra funding for the southern region of Dagestan. Putin chuckled with amusement during the conversation and afterwards said, “We’ve got 5 billion roubles for Dagestan”.

The visit was a sequel to a visit by Mr. Putin to Dagestan last week when he mingled with a large crowd of people, and days after the brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group that had prompted him to warn of the risk of civil war in Russia. For the Kremlin, this was a rare opportunity to show the President in a different light; as a caring, concerned and in control leader. The eight-year-old girl, Raisat Akipova, was invited to Moscow with her parents after Putin was “upset” by seeing a picture of her in tears after failing to get to see him during his Dagestan trip.

The young girl held a bouquet of flowers and thanked Mr. Siluanov when prompted by the President. The unusual phone call between the President and the young girl is a testament to Putin's ability to connect with the public, even in times of difficulty. Rather than considering the risk of civil war and unrest, the President was able to showcase his caring character and his determination to provide additional support to the region. The video of the visit was released by the Kremlin to emphasize this, and it clearly demonstrates the positive impact he has had on the people of Dagestan.

The episode also provides an insight into Putin’s character and how he is willing to go out of his way to help those in need. His willingness to go the extra mile to provide support to the region and to the young girl displays his commitment to the people of Dagestan, and his determination to do what he can to make a difference.