London (TIP): Vladimir Putin has hit back at western leaders who mocked his athletic exploits, saying it would be ‘disgusting’ if Britain’s Boris Johnson tried to emulate his topless appearances in front of the camera, media reports said.

Speaking during a visit to Turkmenistan, the Russian President also taunted his advisories over their ‘lack of machismo’—when asked about western leaders joking about him at the G7 summit on June 28.

As they sat down for talks amid tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Johnson jested that G7 leaders could take their clothes off to “show that we’re tougher than Putin”. “Jackets on? Jackets off? Shall we take our clothes off…?” the British leader said while bantering with the other leaders. “We all have to show that we’re tougher than Putin,” he said, Daily Mail reported. Canadian premier Justin Trudeau joked that the Western leaders should emulate the Kremlin leader’s naked torso pictures with a “bare-chested horseback riding display”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen replied: “Oh yes. Horseback riding is the best.” Putin, 69, hit back during the summit, body shaming his foes and telling reporters: “I don’t know exactly how far they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist. But I think, either way, it would be a disgusting sight.” He claimed that, unlike him, the Western leaders abused alcohol and did not do sports to keep in shape.

Putin, who claims to be a martial arts black-belt and fitness fanatic, said: “Recall Pushkin…who said: ‘One might be all about business, yet still take care of the beauty of one’s nails.’ I certainly agree with that.”—IANS