Later, at a press conference following his visit to China, the Russian President said that he was simply "trying the piano keys" and did not think that the video would be made public.
"I can't say I was playing. I just pressed the keys with two or three fingers, while waiting for our Chinese friend and partner. I thought, if Mr. Peskov was filming something, then was probably for personal purposes, for the archive. But they decided to publish it. Well, it's okay, I trust that you weren't disappointed " Putin commented on the issue.
At the same time, the Russian President noted with regret that "the piano was out of tune."
"It was quite difficult to play, even for me, a person who plays with two fingers," Putin said.
While waiting for his Chinese counterpart at the villa, Putin spotted a grand piano and, apparently captivated by the sight of it, sat down and performed a couple of songs.
The Russian leader played two songs, Moscow Windows and The City on the Free Neva River — the unofficial anthems of Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively.
